Photo Credit: Colin Kaepernick by Asa Quathern / CC by 4.0
Jay-Z’s ongoing feud with former football star Colin Kaepernick intensifies as the ex-quarterback criticizes the rapper and mogul’s NFL deal.
Jay-Z isn’t exactly known for having a close relationship with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and there’s no love lost between them. That rift has deepened further since the billionaire rapper and Roc Nation founder struck a deal with Target for the retail giant to carry an exclusive edition of his 1996 debut album, Reasonable Doubt.
Target drew significant controversy after it dialed back its diversity commitments during the start of Trump’s second presidential term. Since Kaepernick parted ways with the NFL after taking the knee during the National Anthem in protest of racial inequality, he’s become well known as a civil rights activist. Kaepernick was therefore critical of Jay-Z’s decision to partner with the retailer for the 30th anniversary of his debut.
Kaepernick had already been an outspoken critic of Roc Nation’s deal with the NFL. It arrived at a time when the athlete was unemployed, as he had become persona non grata at the NFL after his political actions and no team appeared willing to sign him.
At the time, Jay-Z said of Kaepernick’s politics that “we’ve moved past the point of kneeling,” while Kaepernick posited that the NFL only made a deal with Roc Nation to repair its image.
But the different stances regarding Target only made things worse. During Jay-Z’s concerts at Yankee Stadium over the summer, he delivered a freestyle taking aim at Kaepernick’s settlement with the NFL over the collusion lawsuit the ex-QB filed relating to the league seemingly blackballing him.
“They run out of characters; had to bring (Kaepernick) back up again,” Jay-Z said. “Buddy took a check; I ain’t even mad at him, but along with that check you have to sign a non-disparagement. I’m the one (the NFL) can’t control.”
This week, Kaepernick responded during an interview with NBC News‘ Lester Holt.
“What it speaks to is the power of people,” Kaepernick said. “The backlash that (Jay-Z) received for partnering with the NFL and going counter to people’s interests in 2019 was a major problem for him—so much so that he’s still bringing it up in 2026.”
“People are now realizing, ‘Why are you so comfortable stepping into these positions that are counter to the positions that people on the ground actually want?’ And to me, I view that as speaking to a guilty conscience and trying to reposition or reframe the conversation,” Kaepernick added.
“He has built the alignment with the NFL—the NFL that has blackballed me, the same NFL that, in a players-owners meeting in 2017, said we need a Black face to help us get rid of the protests,” he stated.
“I understand why he’s trying to do reputational recovery. I get it. I don’t agree with the actions, but I’m also not going to respond to everything that’s said about me, because I also believe the actions and the work that I do will speak for themselves.”
Notably, the NFL has long denied Kaepernick’s allegations of blackballing.