TMZ Sports, citing sources with direct knowledge, reported Colin Kaepernick's 2019 settlement with the NFL included no non-disparagement or silence clause.
Jay-Z reignited the issue during a Yankee Stadium freestyle, suggesting Kaepernick accepted a deal that required him to stay quiet, prompting online criticism and renewed scrutiny.
Kaepernick's years of public criticism of the NFL, including social media posts, were cited as evidence that no such restriction existed because that activity likely would have breached it.
Neither Kaepernick nor the NFL has addressed Jay-Z's remark, and the settlement terms remain confidential.
The flare-up revives tensions from 2019, when Jay-Z's Roc Nation partnership with the NFL drew backlash from some Kaepernick supporters.