Report: NFL Executives Call Colin Kaepernick "Traitor," Compare Him to Convicted Killer Rae Carruth

A new report reveals some NFL executives think Colin Kaepernick is a "traitor" with one going as far as to compare him to convicted killer Rae Carruth.

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Complex Original

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It's one thing to see people on your Twitter timeline castigating Colin Kaepernick over his refusal to stand for the national anthem prior to a Packers/49ers preseason game last Friday night. Those people have virtually no power outside of sending tweets. But according to Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman, there are some people with real power inside of NFL front offices right now who seem to hate what Kaepernick did just as much as those on your timeline. And those NFL team executives—who remained anonymous while speaking with Freeman this week—could potentially play a big role in Kaepernick's future in the league.

Freeman is reporting that one unnamed front office executive told him that he wouldn't want to have anything to do with Kaepernick if the 49ers decided to part ways with him before the start of the season. Additionally, that executive referred to Kaepernick as a "traitor" while speaking about his recent actions. "I don't want him anywhere near my team," he said. "He's a traitor." A different front office employee told Freeman that he would seriously consider resigning from his position if the owner of his team asked him to sign Kaepernick, while another chimed in with a strong opinion on Kaepernick's decision not to stand for the national anthem. "He has no respect for our country," the executive said. "F*ck that guy."

In total, Freeman spoke with seven NFL team executives and all of them said that they would not want Kaepernick on their teams. Those executives also estimated that "90 to 95 percent" of other executives feel the same way they do. And one went as far as to compare the disdain executives feel for Colin Kaepernick right now to the disdain executives felt for Panthers wide receiver Rae Carruth back in 2001 after he was convicted of hiring a hitman to kill his pregnant girlfriend.

As if all of that wasn't bad enough news for Kaepernick, Freeman also found that the seven executives he spoke with fully expect the 49ers to release the backup quarterback sometime in the near future. Not that it would surprise Kaepernick. Freeman reports he may already be preparing for life after football:

I've heard from people close to Kaepernick that he fully expected to be released by the 49ers once everyone became aware of his actions, and he also knew his football career would be in jeopardy. I've also been told Kaepernick would then dedicate his life to one of social activism.

What a difference a week has made for Kaepernick.

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