Colin Kaepernick's grievance against the NFL will go to trial as an arbitrator denied the league's request to throw out the case.

Kaepernick argues that owners have colluded to keep him off any NFL roster since he hit free agency in 2017.

Kaepernick began protesting police violence and racial inequality during the 2016 preseason.

Kaepernick contends the owners violated union rules by conspiring to keep him off teams.

Aaron Rodgers had hoped to get an opt-out in his new contract with the Green Bay Packers, or tie his salary to a percentage of the salary cap. While Rodgers signed the richest contract in NFL history, he was unable to get the Packers to agree to those concessions.

“I don’t think the NFL is ready for those type of contracts,” he said. “There’s language that need to change for those to become more standard, but there just isn’t the movement in that area on franchise side to do contract that allow players to have more of the leverage that NBA players have. Instead they would rather go traditional routes with large signing bonuses and prorate that over five years in order to minimize cap hits. That’s the desired approach and there wasn’t a lot of wiggle room in that area.”

Rodgers has a small ownership stake in the Milwaukee Bucks.

The NFL salary cap is at $177,200,000 this season, representing an increase of 5.8 percent. The cap has increased by seven percent or more in the previous four seasons.

NFL Salary Cap By Year (Increase)

2018: $177,200,000 (5.8%)
2017: $167,000,000 (7.0%)
2016: $155,270,000 (7.7%)
2015: $143,280,000 (7.2%)
2014: $133,000,000 (7.5%)
2013: $123,000,000 (2.0%)
2012: $120,600,000 (0.5%)
2011: $120,000,000 (NA)
2010: No Cap (NA)
2009: $123,000,000 (5.7%)
2008: $116,000,000 (6.0%)
2007: $109,000,000 (6.4%)
2006: $102,000,000 (16.2%)
2005: $85,500,000 (5.8%)
2004: $80,582,000 (6.9%)
2003: $75,007,000 (5.2%)
2002: $71,101,000 (5.2%)
2001: $67,405,000 (7.8%)
2000: $62,172,000 (7.9%)
1999: $57,288,000 (8.6%)
1998: $52,388,000 (20.9%)
1997: $41,454,000 (1.7%)
1996: $40,753,000 (9.0%)
1995: $37,100,000 (6.7%)
1994: $34,608,000 NA

A passionate defense of the right for NFL players to protest went viral made by Texas Democratic Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke.

O’Rourke said that he “can think of nothing more American” than “to peacefully stand up, or take a knee, for your rights.”

O'Rourke is campaigning against Ted Cruz.

“Non-violently, peacefully, while the eyes of this country are watching these games, they take a knee to bring our attention and our focus to this problem to ensure that we fix it,” O’Rourke said of the players. “That is why they are doing it. And I can think of nothing more American than to peacefully stand up, or take a knee, for your rights, any time, anywhere, in any place.”

The NFL accounted for 71 of the 100 most-watched telecasts in 2017.

In 2007, that figure was 22 out of 100.

While NFL ratings have declined in recent years, they have done so at a rate far below that of most programming.

Kenny Stills and two other Miami Dolphins protested during the national anthem on Thursday.

Stills and Albert Wilson kneeled behind teammates while Robert Quinn stood and raised his right fist.

The NFL released a statement during the game, reaffirming that last year's policy, which allows kneeling with no discipline, is in place.

"There has been no change in the NFL's policy regarding the national anthem," league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in the statement. "The anthem will continue to be played before every game, and all player and non-player personnel on the field at that time are expected to stand during the presentation of the flag and performance of the anthem. Personnel who do not wish to do so can choose to remain in the locker room.

"We remain committed to working with the players to identify solutions and to continue making progress on important social issues affecting our communities.''

Aaron Rodgers believes the NFL should eliminate its hard cap in favor of a soft cap system similar to the NBA. The NFL believes the hard cap creates parity.

“We have sort of a tough situation,” he said. “I think one thing you could definitely look at that would influence the way contracts are done is a hard cap versus a non-hard cap—like the NBA, where there’s a cap, then there’s luxury tax.”

Rodgers, who invested in the Milwaukee Bucks, believes teams that go above the cap should do with a penalty.

“I would allow teams to go over the cap knowing if they do, since there’s not a hard cap, they are going to be faced with some luxury tax issues and they’d change their strategy. It’s not like we’re hurting—just like the NBA, we’re not hurting for revenue. We’re doing excellent in the NFL and the NBA is doing fantastic as well.”