NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke about during his annual state of the league address on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters, Goodell said Kaepernick deserves "our recognition ... and our appreciation" for voicing his concerns about systemic racism in 2016 while playing for the San Francisco 49ers.
"I said clearly back in June we wish we would've listened to players earlier," Goodell added. "... It didn't start last summer. It started over two years ago, and we've been working with the Players Coalition."
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