Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers has so far stayed on neutral ground with all the kneeling protests going on in the NFL. However, that does not mean he is ignoring it. In fact, he knows that all of it started with Colin Kaepernick, someone who is paying the price for making a stand.
In what first started out as an issue that was seemingly controllable, the fight against social injustice has surprisingly expanded. Kaepernick may not be seen these days because he has yet to sign with a team, but others athletes have carried on what the 29-year-old started last year.
Newton considers Kaepernick a legend
Newton was around to witness the celebrated kneeling protests started by Kaepernick last NFL season. Colin was still with the San Francisco 49ers until the controversial quarterback opted to cut ties in March 2017. It was actually a no-win situation for Kaepernick, who would have likely been cut anyway, according to CBS Sports. The move gave the 49ers $14.5 million in savings, though $2.5 million of that still counts as dead money, according to ESPN.
In all, Kaepernick made a huge sacrifice. Aside from the money he lost when he opted out to try free agency, his NFL future remains uncertain. Multiple teams were linked to the Milwaukee native though nothing has come to fruition.
Most people have called it blackballing, with teams reasoning out the situation depending on their needs. Either way, Kaepernick remains one of the high-profile players available.
Newton believes Kaepernick made a big sacrifice to stand up for what is right. The opinions over his effort have drawn varying criticism, though it is now slowly making sense.
Could this realization be his ticket back to the NFL? The answer to that remains to be seen.
Social injustice is nothing new to Cam
Newton knows that social injustice is real and he witnessed it while growing up outside Atlanta, Yahoo Sports reported. He is aware of the cultural divide and believes that people may not have seen him in the same way that they do now.
Like most protesting athletes, Newton believes that there should be a call for unity at some point. The protests are something big at the moment but the 28-year-old knows that it took one man to put his career on the line to raise the level of awareness.
Newton compares Kaepernick to a football version of Curt Flood, a baseball player who saw his career end when he challenged restrictive labor rules. The 29-year-old could see the same happening to him at some point, sparking a movement for equality. It is a hefty price to pay, but inspiring in some ways, to help people to actually take a stand on something.
