Jay-Z is reportedly 'disappointed' in how Colin Kaepernick handled his NFL workout this weekend

Greg Allen/AP

Jay-Z has been one of Colin Kaepernick's most prominent supporters since the quarterback began kneeling in protest of police brutality.

• Jay-Z was "disappointed" in Colin Kaepernick's decision to abstain from a private workout organized by the NFL.
• Sources told TMZ that the rapper felt as though Kaepernick squandered a legitimate opportunity to showcase his abilities to NFL teams and instead turned it "into a publicity stunt."
• Roc Nation, the rapper's agency, Tweeted on Monday to deny that Jay-Z had made any such claims.
• The "99 Problems" artist recently made a deal with the NFL to help with the league's social justice initiatives and has expressed interest in becoming a team owner.
• Despite his reported negative thoughts on the workout, Jay-Z has been one of Kaepernick's most prominent supporters since the quarterback began kneeling in protest of police brutality.
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Everyone seems to have an opinion on Colin Kaepernick, and Jay-Z is no exception.

The iconic rapper - who recently made a deal with the NFL to help with the league's social justice initiatives and has expressed interest in becoming a team owner - was "disappointed" in Kaepernick's decision to abstain from a private workout organized by the NFL, according to a TMZ report.

Last week, the league announced its intention to hold a tryout of sorts for Kaepernick, who has not played in the league since 2017 after kneeling in protest of police brutality. The blackballed quarterback agreed to attend, as did 25 of the league's 32 franchises, but the workout fell through after the league attempted to force Kaepernick to sign a waiver to protect itself from future employment lawsuits.

Instead, Kaepernick held his own workout an hour after the previously-scheduled event that was open to all teams and the media. Eight teams attended, and by all accounts, Kaepernick threw well, but controversy ensued nonetheless.

Blame was assigned to both sides for the cancellation of the official NFL private workout, with many of those allied with Kaepernick criticizing the league's short notice and lack of transparency. On the other side of the conflict, people like ESPN talking head Stephen A. Smith accused Kaepernick of not actually being interested in returning to the gridiron and, instead, turning the workout into an opportunity "to make noise" and "to control the narrative."

Jay-Z reportedly fell in the second camp. Sources told TMZ that the rapper felt as though Kaepernick squandered a legitimate opportunity to showcase his abilities to NFL teams and instead turned it "into a publicity stunt."

Later, Roc Nation denied that Jay-Z had made any such comments.

Jay-Z was widely reported to have pushed the NFL into organizing a workout for Kaepernick, which perhaps explains his frustration with the quarterback's last-minute decision. Still, Beyoncé's husband was one of Kaepernick's most prominent supporters from the beginning of his kneeling protest, so his public criticism came as a bit of a surprise to many.

• Read more:
• Stephen A. Smith and Eric Reid are feuding over Colin Kaepernick's NFL workout, which some are calling a 'publicity stunt'
• Colin Kaepernick's original NFL workout fell apart because the league wanted him to sign a waiver to protect itself from future employment lawsuits
• 11 teams have committed to attending Colin Kaepernick's NFL workout this weekend. Here are his top landing spots, ranked.
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