US News
Nate Boyer reflects on fallout and lost sponsorship a decade after Colin Kaepernick protests
The former Green Beret says his veterans charity lost corporate funding due to his past involvement in shaping the NFL national anthem demonstration.
The short version
- Former Green Beret and NFL player Nate Boyer reported that a major corporate sponsor pulled a five-figure deal from his veterans charity due to his 2016 involvement with Colin Kaepernick.
- Boyer had advised Kaepernick and Eric Reid to kneel rather than sit during the national anthem in 2016 as a respectful demonstration against racial injustice.
- A decade after the initial protest, Boyer continues to face both personal and organizational repercussions, though he maintains that dialogue and the protest were rooted in patriotism.
Key facts
- Nate Boyer stated that a major corporate partner pulled a five-figure sponsorship from his Merging Vets and Players foundation after the company's legal department discovered his past ties to Colin Kaepernick.[The Guardian]
- Boyer met with Kaepernick and Eric Reid in San Diego in August 2016 and suggested taking a knee as a symbolic alternative to sitting on the bench during the national anthem.[The Guardian]
- Boyer stood beside Kaepernick and Reid while they took a knee before a preseason game in San Diego, facing loud boos from the crowd.[The Guardian]
- Kaepernick played his final NFL game on January 1, 2017, and later reached a settlement in 2019 after suing the NFL for collusion.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- Accounts differ on whether Nate Boyer initially suggested taking a knee or whether he endorsed an idea originally proposed by Eric Reid.[The Guardian]
- The exact combination of on-field performance decline, injury history, and political controversy that prevented Kaepernick from signing with another NFL team remains debated.[The Guardian]