Colin Kaepernick already found two ways that we know of to protest what he believes is the mistreatment of minorities in the United States — sitting during the national anthem and wearing socks featuring pigs as cops — but don’t expect him to do anything with the American flag decal on his helmet.
There was some Internet chatter Thursday about whether Kaepernick would consider removing the decal because such a gesture seemingly would go hand in hand with his refusal to stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner” before a preseason game last week.
The San Francisco 49ers quarterback would run into some issues if he chose that path, though, as NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told ProFootballTalk that players are not permitted to remove the flag decal that appears on the back of every player’s helmet.
As PFT’s Mike Florio points out, this likely has more to do with the league’s stance on uniformity than anything politically driven. The NFL generally wants all players to dress the same and has been known to be strict when it comes to enforcing such rules.
In other words, Kaepernick is free to sit during the national anthem — something he plans to do again Thursday night before the 49ers’ preseason finale against the San Diego Chargers — but he’s limited in how he can express himself when it comes to what he wears on the gridiron.
Unless, of course, he’s willing to deal with whatever punishment the league would hand down for his uniform violation.
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports Images
