Josh Norman says he was not trying to "destroy" Colin Kaepernick



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Redskins cornerback Josh Norman, left, hosts Patriots quarterback Tom Brady after Washington's first pre-season game last month. (Steven Senne / AP)

With Colin Kaepernick and former San Francisco 49ers teammate Eric Reid, both out of work, as the NFL begins its 2018 season, Eagles goaltender Malcolm Jenkins has become the new face of league protests. . According to Redskins cornerback Josh Norman, who is a member of The Jenkins-co-founded Coalition of Players and former NFL receiver Anquan Boldin last year, Jenkins brought a sense of leadership and direction to the players, which was lacking when Kaepernick and Reid started the anthem during the pre-season 2016.

"They were not really organized and communicated with anyone," Norman Babb of Reid and Kaepernick told the Post recently. "[Jenkins] was one of those who had a better plan than what was going on. He asked the guys and officials to work with him on so much, and that's what we do with it.

Last November, as the NFL and the Players Coalition came to an agreement in principle asking the league and teams to provide nearly $ 90 million over seven years for charitable causes to address social inequalities. Is removed from the coalition of players. At the time, there were reports that the owners were hoping that the deal would lead all NFL players to voluntarily support the national anthem. After announcing his defection to the Players Coalition, Reid said Jenkins had kicked Kaepernick out of the group after a meeting early in the season. Jenkins refuted this claim.

"It's wrong," Jenkins said in a statement to ESPN. "I had a lot of conversations with Colin about participation in the coalition. He thought it would be better to work and support us informally. "

Norman told Babb that Kaepernick, who has made few public appearances since retiring from his contract with the 49ers in March 2017, has refused to participate in the Coalition's negotiations with the players.

"When he took a knee, everyone was in shock and everything, but when the bullets started flying, I was trying to figure out where he was. He dodges, says Norman from Kaepernick. "When you are in the crosshairs and the guys who are there are trying to have a conversation to get things done, he did not want to have that conversation."

Norman's comments made additional headlines, including on this site, and further debate. "What's your reaction to Josh Norman criticizing Colin Kaepernick?", Said the "Undisputed" chyron of FS1, while Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless were present Thursday morning.

Asked about Kaepernick at Redskins Park on Thursday afternoon, Norman shared his comments with Babb. He said that he wanted to make it clear that his intention was never to "demolish" Kaepernick and that he had not considered his earlier comments critical of the shift.

"I said something earlier about [Kaepernick] and it's nothing that I want to demolish what he did or did, not at all, "Norman said. "I'm not in this business to demolish another brother and what he does. I will never be that guy. A question was asked a few weeks ago if I'm not mistaken … [and] It has been said that everyone thought that it was critical. But critical things are things you do not know or you think critically. None of what I've said has been critical, because when you can see factual information and you can read it, then you're in this business and you're not a pawn. , so you obviously know it. But I'm not in this game to throw someone under the bus or what they [are] try to do. As I said, all power for him, he did not invade my bubble, he did not do anything for me. Of course, I want to congratulate him and what he has done so far and all the things he has continued to do. Of course, I will raise it in this aspect.

Kaepernick is the spokesperson for a new Nike ad that will air in Thursday's NFL first game between the Eagles and Falcons in Philadelphia, where it remains to be seen whether players will protest at the national anthem. Post's Mark Maske reported on Wednesday that it was difficult to know when the league and the NFL Players Association would reach a new agreement on a new policy. A potential compromise might imply that owners agree to give up the discipline for a player who chooses to protest during the national anthem in exchange for union membership to the players. Meanwhile, Jenkins told Babb that it was time for the players to find new ways to protest.

"Personally, I really want this conversation to move away from the anthem," Jenkins said. "I think that served his purpose."

This post was updated with Norman's comments on Thursday. The Carpenter contributed to this report.

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