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Colin Kaepernick's lawyers plan to depose Roger Goodell's wife

By The Sports Xchange
Colin Kaepernick (L) and Nessa arrive on the red carpet at the TIME 100 Gala on April 26, 2017 at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, in New York City. File photo by Bryan R. Smith/UPI
Colin Kaepernick (L) and Nessa arrive on the red carpet at the TIME 100 Gala on April 26, 2017 at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, in New York City. File photo by Bryan R. Smith/UPI | License Photo

The lawyers for Colin Kaepernick added a high-profile name to the list of witnesses they hope to question in the quarterback's collusion grievance against the NFL.

Commissioner Roger Goodell's wife.

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Kaepernick's legal team sent a list of witnesses it wants to depose, including Jane Goodell, Yahoo Sports reported, citing sources with knowledge of the case.

Roger Goodell, along with several owners and at least two other NFL executives, were asked to turn over all cell phone records and emails in the case brought forward by the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback.

According to Yahoo Sports, Goodell's wife was added to the list of witnesses after his attorneys had time to review all the material turned over to them.

Jane Goodell's inclusion may stem from the revelation that she used a Twitter account under another name to defend her husband against criticism from a number of outlets, Yahoo Sports reported.

Kaepernick filed a grievance under the collective bargaining agreement against the NFL in October, accusing all 32 owners of collusion against signing him to an NFL contract.

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The 30-year-old Kaepernick previously had said his agent reached out to all NFL teams to make sure they were aware of his interest in playing this season. He opted out of his contract with the 49ers in March and remains unsigned.

Roger Goodell stated on multiple occasions this past season that Kaepernick was not being blackballed.

Kaepernick did not go through the NFL Players Association with his collusion case, instead hiring Mark Geragos, who has represented a number of high-profile clients, including Michael Jackson and musician Chris Brown.

After filing the grievance, Kaepernick tweeted he filed "only after pursuing every possible avenue with all NFL teams and their executives."

NFL owners expected to be deposed include Dallas' Jerry Jones, New England's Robert Kraft, Houston's Bob McNair, Seattle's Paul Allen and San Francisco's Jed York.

Other league executives who will be deposed reportedly include executive vice president/football operations Troy Vincent and senior vice president of player engagement Arthur McAfee.

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Kaepernick has been a controversial figure since he first sat and then knelt during the national anthem before games while with the 49ers in the 2016 season as a protest against police brutality against African-Americans, social injustice and racial inequality.

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