Colin Kaepernick’s collusion lawsuit against the NFL should start ramping up in coming weeks, and the quarterback’s legal team reportedly has added a couple new names to the deposition list.
Yahoo! Sports’ Charles Robinson reported Tuesday, citing sources, that Kaepernick’s lawyers will depose Jane Goodell, wife of commissioner Roger Goodell, along with at least nine other witnesses.
Robinson reported Ms. Goodell’s involvement in the case comes after the legal team did a “sweep of text messages, emails and telephone records” over the past few months.
Jane Goodell’s involvement wasn’t the only add, though.
Colin Kaepernick's legal team has requested deposition w/ ex-Papa John's CEO John Schnatter according to source w/knowledge of situation…
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) February 13, 2018
John Schnatter blamed the national anthem protests, which Kaepernick pioneered, for the poor pizza sales his company endured during 2017. Schnatter is good friends with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who reportedly also will be deposed, and some speculated that Schnatter might have made his comments at Jones’ behest.
Schnatter has since apologized and stepped down as CEO of Papa John’s.
Robinson also reported that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Houston Texans owner Bob McNair, Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, Seahawks general manager John Schneider, Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome and league executives Troy Vincent and Arthur McFee with deposed along with Jones and the Goodells.
Kaepernick was unable to find a spot on a team in the 2017 season, despite his stats showing he’s clearly better than a number of quarterbacks who got opportunities during the year. He filed the lawsuit in October alleging that the NFL league office, teams and executives got together to keep him out of the league.
Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest police violence and racial inequality in America.