A year ago, NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick was vilified for a black civil rights protest on the sidelines of a preseason game.

Kaepernick is out of a job now. He’s been blackballed by NFL owners for his politics, some say. 

But in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville, Va., the NFL sidelines are a telling barometer of shifting public sentiment.

Other NFL players are now protesting during the national anthem. What’s different? Some of those players are white.

“It’s a good time for people that look like me to be here for people that are fighting for equality,” said Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Chris Long Thursday night, as he rested his hand on the back of black teammate Malcolm Jenkins, who had his fist thrust in the air.

After Charlottesville, the chief executive officers of major corporations also sounded, well, much like the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback. The nation has arguably edged closer to Kaepernick’s position. Business execs are increasingly exercising moral authority on social issues, seeing qualities, such as tolerance, diversity, and equality, as important to their employees and customers.

Something else to watch for in the coming football season: Which NFL owner will make a values statement by hiring Kaepernick?

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