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Peter King is on vacation until July 20, and he lined up some guest writers to fill his Monday spot on Football Morning in America. Today, its Michael Thomas, who plays safety for the Houston Texans.

Previous guest columns: Michael MacCambridge (June 15) Front-Line Workers (June 22) Joe Browne (June 29) Kim Pegula (July 5)

Three months into the 2016 seasonmy friend Colin Kaepernicks last in the NFLthe 49ers came to Miami for a game. The Niners were 1-9. We were 6-4 and headed for the playoffs. I entered the NFL on San Franciscos practice squad in 2012; by 2016, I was in my fourth season playing safety for the Dolphins, and I took the field that afternoon in south Florida knowing our biggest priority on defense was to stop Kap.

In the last four years, Kaps been blackballed from the NFL and has become an international hero for the oppressed. Ill get to that subject in a moment, but I want to express what a great player he was when he last played, and why I believe he absolutely must have the chance to get his job in the NFL back. Now.

The pressure on Kap that hot afternoon was enormous. We had won five games in a row. Though he was a great player, he was getting a lot of attention for other reasons. Kap started protesting during the National Anthem that preseason, to draw attention to systemic racism and police brutality, first sitting during the anthem and later kneeling. Eric Reid joined him in San Francisco. It was not a popular stance with the public. Kenny Stills, a wide receiver on our team, and I joined in solidarity in Miami so during the anthem before that game, while I was kneeling, I could look across the field and see Kap doing the same.

That feeling was monumental. We were getting nothing from the league, no statement of support, no willingness to back the players. There was more tension that day, because Kap had previously worn a T-shirt with a photo of a meeting between Fidel Castro and Malcolm X. In south Florida, with such a large Cuban population, anything pro-Castro does not go over well. So that was a massive thing for the Miami media, and he had a heated discussion with a reporter from the Miami Herald during a mid-week press conference that got a lot of attention. That game had extra juice before we lined up on Sunday.

Kap played an incredible game. It might have been his last truly great game in the NFL. He threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns and he had his last 100-yard rushing game in the league, with 113 yards on the ground. We were up 31-24 but they had first and goal at the six-yard line with five seconds left and Kap was looking to get them into the end zone, tie the game and send us to overtime. He got the snap and tried to run it in, and for a minute it looked like he was going to do it. But he got tackled by Ndamukong Suh and Kiko Alonso at the two-yard line, and that was the game.

We rushed the field, we were celebrating, and I remember being mad at myself afterwards because by the time we were done with all that, Im pretty sure Kap was off the field, and we didnt get to chop it up. Obviously, I was glad we won. When Im playing against Kap, when Im playing against anyone, Im trying to make my plays and win the game as my absolute first priority. But at the same time, Kaps my guy, and I want him to ball. And I was really happy that he balled, because there was absolutely nothing negative anyone could say about that game. We know the added pressure that came with us taking a knee. If you give them any excuse, theyll tear you down and demand you get cut. Youre just a distraction.

That season was life-changing for me. Following the back-to-back unjust murders of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling in the summer of 2016, I knew I had to do something. I was done with t-shirts and hashtags. I was ready to fight, because this was bigger than me. I had zero guarantees in my contract at the time. Miami could cut me at any point and not owe me a thing, not even owe me a goodbye.

I had to make a decision. My parents always raised me to be a leader, to take a stand for what was right regardless of potential punishment, but even they were scared. My wife Gloria and I prayed about it. Heres what it came down to: If I say that I care about my people, if I say that I care about the Black community, I needed to do something. My daughter would be watching.

To be honest, I had no idea what exactly that something was going to be. Until I saw Colin Kaepernick kneel during the National Anthem. When I heard why he was protesting, that he was fighting against systemic oppression and police brutality, it was an incredible moment of clarity.

Kenny, who has conviction like no other, said to me, Mike, thats what we need to do. Players across the league were having conversations about locking arms, raising fists, but we knew that would distract from the message and allow it to be co-opted. We had to kneel in solidarity with Kap, and we had to have that conviction to know that even if we were going to get bashed, we were in it with our brothers. In our hearts, we knew it was the right thing to do.

In 2016, Colin Kaepernick woke me up.

I pray that we figure out a way to make this NFL season work safely amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Im a vice president on the board of directors of the NFL Players Association, and were talking about that right now. If and when it does, I have no doubt that well hear any number of statements and sentiments from the teams, from the league and from Roger Goodell about racial injustice, about Black Lives Matter, about making change. Were already hearing them now. Great. Its the middle of July. But I dont think any player will really believe the sentiments of the NFL if Colin Kaepernick doesnt have a job in the league this season.

When I initially spoke with Peter King about writing this column, he wanted to know if I might propose a creative solution to make that job happen for Kap. I said no. The NFL created this problem. The NFL has to solve it. Its not my job to do that. If the league really feels like its going to back the players when it comes to ending racism, Colin should have a job. Thats the only way that the Black community and the players are going to truly believe the NFL is serious about what they say. Otherwise, people will always reference what you did to your own. You have to look in the mirror and clean your own house first.

Like I said, Ive played against Colin, and hes a winning quarterback. He wasnt winning the last time we faced each other, but hes proven he can compete, and hes taken his team to the Super Bowl. People love to talk about how long Colin has been out the game, how hard it might be for him to get back to that NFL level. But I know hes been working and staying in shape. Thats different than actually playing, and I dont know if his first role when he comes back will be the starting quarterback for a team. But I know for a fact that of all the backup quarterbacks on a roster right now, hed be one of the best, if not the best. And probably better than some of the second-tier starters.

Like the rest of us, hed have to come into camp and prove himself. Thats the beauty of our game. Respect is earned by your play. He built up a lot of that respect in the past. I have no doubt that with all the work hes been putting in, even since hes been blackballed out of the league, that hed be able to come in and compete. And then it would be up to him to prove his worth and earn that respect again.

Beyond that, hes the type of quarterback that todays NFL is built for. Its built for the mobile quarterback, its built for the quarterback who can run but also throw. Hes that dual-threat option. Hes mobile, and he has a big arm that can hit the deep threat. He causes confusion for defenses if he gets into any kind of zone-read option. And obviously the RPO game is bigger than ever. Set aside for a second what the league would gain in terms of credibility by bringing him back. From a pure football standpoint, his style fits the league perfectly.

Colin is always going to be the name and the face of this movement, and he should be. But I dont think his stance is anywhere near as monumental without the unwavering support of Eric Reid. With Eric, you have a first-round draft pick, a Pro Bowl type player whos young, whos checking off all the boxes on the list of things you need to get to free agency and kill it on the open market.

Eric and I both hit free agency in 2018, hes two years younger than me, and for him, nothing? He struggled to get a job in Carolina, and now hes without a team again. All because he used his platform to fight against police brutality and systemic oppression and align with Colin Kaepernick. When you talk about Colin, you have to talk about Eric. In the same breath that Im calling for Colin to by employed, I guarantee you Colin will be calling for Eric to be employed this season as well.

In conversations Ive had with other players, even the player who didnt take a knee, everyone is overwhelmingly in agreement that these men need to be playing in the league. If theres a group thats opposed to that, I certainly havent spoken with them. Most people, myself included, feel like Kap is a hero for what he did. He woke up the next generation of players to use their voice and their platform to protest police brutality and systemic oppression.

Four years removed from 2016, there has been real change, and its come from the players. Players are realizing their power, and they know the impact it has when they speak out against social injustices and racism. The young stars of today and tomorrow are doing it, and its so necessary because everything starts from the top. If the faces of the NFL Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson, Michael Thomas (the other one, of Saints fame) are calling for an end to systemic oppression, and saying it publicly? Putting their faces behind it? Demanding the league back them while doing it? The video Michael Thomas engineered, featuring so many young stars, was so powerful, and Roger Goodell responded. That was a start. Now theres more to do.

If its not the faces of the leaguethe big starscalling for these things, its easy to dismiss. Im not going to name names, but for so long the top players in the NFL of the past, many of whom were not Black, werent going to use their platform to fight for these causes. The league felt okay to talk about faith, family and football and to have players only support the causes that they said we could support. Players got trapped and confined to this clich. And even if you wanted to address non-polarizing issues in our country, this was the feeling: You know I care about these issues, you know that Im Black, you know that I care about the Black Community. But at the same time, there was a serious fear: If I speak out and say something, Ill mess up my money!

But now with all the top players speaking out, theyve applied pressure to the league and left them no choice but to join the fight. Theyre the new faces of the league. If theyre speaking out on systemic oppression and racism in this country, then that opens the door for every other player. And they also know that the next generation of stars is watching. The college athletes. Youve seen players at Texas A&M, Clemson, Oklahoma State, HBCUs across the nation, and at my alma mater, Stanford, using their platforms. It doesnt matter where they are. Theyre seeing their big brothers in the NFL fight to end systemic oppression. They feel strongly about making real change for the Black community too.

In 2016, we looked to the league to back us up. Even if they didnt want to use their platform to express solidarity for our cause, we at least wanted them to come out and say that they supported their players. We couldnt even get a statement with that bare minimum of backing.

But now were hearing from Patrick Mahomes. The league MVP and Super Bowl MVP is starring in a Black Lives Matter video and has made his support for the cause part of who is he as a player and a person. Last week, he signed to a 10-year extension worth about half a billion dollars, one of the largest contracts the sports world has ever seen (rightfully deserved). To have somebody of that caliber stepping up to say something for the Black community is a tremendous thing. The NFL is nearly 70 percent black. He knew they had to pay him. The NFL knew they had to pay him. And to hear him and Lamar and Deshaun speak on this topic is powerful and monumental.

Of course, Im no Patrick Mahomes. When I took a knee in 2016, I was still under a minimum contract, bound to the Miami Dolphins. My daughter was two years old at the time. I had to make a decision knowing that Im not the face of the NFL and that I dont have any sort of guarantee in my contract. My first time hitting free agency came ahead of the 2018 season and I remember communicating with Eric Reid every morning, praying. Teams wouldnt even respond to us. It was a tough time. Ill say this: I was blessed to ultimately be able to sign with the Giants.

There was another team, and I wont name names, that wanted to sign me and thought they could capitalize on my off-field situation. They thought Id be seen as undesirable and that theyd get great value for me. Thankfully I was able to sign with the Giants, and I have nothing but great things to say about that organization. I accomplished a lot of career goals in New York: I made my first Pro Bowl and I finally signed a deal that had some type of guarantee. Some might argue that I didnt get my true market value or that I missed opportunities with other teams because I chose to take a knee. Ive said all Im going to say on that for now, and Ill leave that to everyone else to debate.

Some people make the argument that Colin would rather be a martyr for this cause than be a quarterback in the NFL. Theyll talk about recent news of his docuseries with ESPN and his deal with the Walt Disney Co. to argue hes more interested in telling stories than playing football. But the people who are making those things mutually exclusive are feeding into the same system that keeps players from standing up for their communities. Colin used his voice and his platform to speak out on police brutality and systemic racism on his own terms and the response from some was to assume that means he doesnt want to be a quarterback in this league.

Thats why I love the fact that this next generation is so woke. I have no doubt that Colins initial stance helped plant the seeds and inspire those young stars to realize what happens when you use your platform to fight for causes in your own neighborhood. And that is so powerful. Oh, and here we are four years later and the narrative in our nation around protest, racial injustice and police brutality has changed enormously. Colin was right!

Beyond sports, on a national scale, everyone wants to know where we should focus all this energy. Not just every Black person, but every person period. The protests are great, the activism is important, but how do we really fight to end systemic oppression? To me, that next step is for everyone committed to this fight players, league partners, protestors, politicians to try to attack systemic racism at its core and demand that our government, at both the congressional level and in the Senate, pass H.R. 40, the bill to study and develop proposals for reparations for African-Americans.

Representative John Conyers of Michigan first introduced H.R. 40 in 1989. Texas Representative Sheila Jackson Lee introduced the current bill in June of 2019. The 40 in the bills name is a reference to the promises made to freed slaves following the Civil War that were never delivered. Those freed slaves were supposed to be given 40 acres and a mule from land and resources formerly held by the Confederacy, a systematic government initiative to rectify the ills of slavery and help rebuild the lives it had irreparably damaged.

But that promise went unfulfilled. Instead, slavery merely gave way to Jim Crow segregation and continued systemic disenfranchisement for Black people in America. As Rep. Jackson Lee said, Slavery is Americas original sin, and this country has yet to atone for the atrocities visited upon generations of enslaved Africans and their descendants. Its time.

Im only 30 years old, but throughout my lifetime, we havent even been able to truly have a conversation about the framework for reparations, let alone reparations themselves. The conversation always stalls on how we would do it, how much it would cost, what it would possibly look like. And thats what H.R. 40 is for, to answer all these questions.

It horrifies me that its taken such drastic events for us to get to the place where this idea starts to enter the mainstream. But, okay, were here now. People are starting to talk about it. Thats great. It took protests in the streets. It took countless people being unjustly murdered at the hands, knees and guns of police to finally have a real conversation. But thats what it took.

Ive seen lots of athletes speak out on specific issues that they want to tackle. LeBron James, for instance, has put his focus on fighting voter suppression. I think thats great. The fact that its 2020 and were still talking about the right to vote? That sucks. There are a million single individual battles that need to be fought and won. But does that approach create generational wealth for our kids and our grandkids? I dont think so.

We keep dancing around the conversation. We keep getting incremental little wins, symbolic wins. Thats not enough. The average white family in America has 10 times the wealth of the average Black family. Thats why its not enough to take little pieces of the pie. We have to push for change at the core.

What we really need is for people to accept that this is a system that limits what Black people in America can achieve and accumulate. For everyone asking whats next, let me say it unequivocally: We need to pass H.R. 40 and begin a serious conversation about the framework for reparations for Black people in the United States. We cant let this energy, this moment and this momentum go to waste.

Reading this column thus far, you might decide that I only care about social justice issues, that my life as a football player isnt important to me. Thats not true. I love football, and I love the life its allowed me to lead. Ive been in the NFL since 2012. I came in undrafted, made my way from the practice squad in San Francisco to spend five years in Miami. I became a Pro Bowler with the New York Giants. Ive been a captain and a leader for my teams, and Ive been a leader in the NFLPA. Everyone wants to find safe ways to get back to work and were no exception. And this season is particularly special because Im coming home to Houstonwhere I was born and raisedto play football in my town for the first time since high school. Here are some things I think from my life as a football player.

1. I think its going to be really strange to see Tom Brady play for Tampa Bay this year. Playing for Miami, we came up against the Patriots regularly and in his prime, I think Tom Brady is arguably the best of all time. My very first time facing him was actually my very first game in the NFL, when I was signed off the practice squad from San Francisco in December of 2013.

Early one Monday morning that December I woke up to a bunch of texts and missed calls from my agent, who told me that I had to decide right now if I wanted to go to Miami, because otherwise they were going to move on to the next guy. Shed called 10 times already. So I said of course, got to Miami Tuesday night and by Wednesday Im with the team.

That Sunday, I played in my first NFL game against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. I wasnt supposed to be touching the field on defense. The fourth quarter comes around and the starting corner is hurt. Okay, so then they need me to run down on kickoff. I run down on kickoff, make my first tackle. Im thrilled, I know that my name is going to be on the stat sheet and theres going to be evidence that I really played.

The next play, another DB gets hurt. We only have seven DBs and we have to play five at a time, so the DB coach comes up to me and says, Mike? Thats your name right, Michael Thomas? I see you played slot in college. Youre going to have to play slot again. Okay. So Tom Brady sees that and literally every play hes coming to me. Theyre either running the ball or hes throwing it to Julian Edelman or Danny Amendola or whoever Im guarding in the slot. Im holding on, I make a couple plays, but theyre driving down the field. Theyve got a first down at the 19-yard line with 27 seconds left and Im guarding Amendola and hes running a go route to the end zone. I look up and the balls coming. Amendola actually gets it in his hands in the end zone but I fight until the end, fight until we get to the ground and the ball pops out. Its an incomplete, the crowd goes crazy, and now Im juiced.

And now its fourth down. Coach calls a timeout and tells me theyre going to help me out and put me in double coverage with the safety. Im thinking, thank God. Even if they win, just dont let it be on me. Its my first game in the league!

We get out there, they line up. Tom Brady says hut, they snap it, and whoever was in the slot dove underneath to the safety, so I free up. I start backpedalling a little to offer some body pressure to the outside corner. I look up and the ball is coming, intended for Austin Collie. Its like a movie scene. Everything is in slow motion. I leap up in the air and catch it and after I fall down in the end zone it hits me. I just caught the game-winning interception! Thats Tom Brady! I just won the game! All my teammates are jumping up and down, cameras are in my face, the crowd is going crazy, I start crying and yelling for my mama. It was absolutely like a movie. That was my welcome to Miami moment, my welcome to the NFL moment, and fans ask me about that play, I kid you not, every other day. Ill never forget it.

2. I think Im a Jim Harbaugh guy through and through. He brought me to San Francisco when I went undrafted out of Stanford. Hes a hilarious guy and hes a guy who knows how to win. Hes very tough. Some might even say hes an a-hole. But he knows how to get the most out of his players, how to put the best guys out there and how to evaluate talent. Hes a great coach and Im glad I had the opportunity to say I played for him.

He recruited me to Stanford too, and Ill tell you the line that got me hooked, because full disclosure, as a 15- or 16-year-old kid, I had no idea what Stanford was, and no idea where it was. I thought it was in the Ivy League or something. My dad had just showed me an article about Harbaugh coaching at Stanford and had told me all about his playing career. I kid you not, I got a text probably 20 minutes later saying: This is Jim Harbaugh. Theres going to be a lot of teams out there that want you, Mike. But we need you. And thats when I said, okay, let me pay attention to this guy. I saw that the school was in California, that they played in the Pac-12, and the rest is history. Jim Harbaugh knows how to recruit.

3. I know I just got through saying that Tom Brady is the greatest of all time. But I think Ill never forget playing the Packers in Miami in 2014, facing Aaron Rodgers, on the last play of the game, in the red zone. Were up 24-20. He breaks the huddle, looks at our defense, smiles, doesnt even buckle his chin strap, says hut and throws the game-winning touchdown. That guy was so smooth, and his arm talent is unbelievable.

Now when youre talking arm talent, you have to include Patrick Mahomes. But I dont think its a coincidence that Rodgers and Mahomes are doing State Farm commercials together. They have the one-two punch in the league when it comes to pure arm talent. But Rodgers has that thing where he can just make any throw. I think most DBs would tell you that hes one of the absolute best and most dangerous quarterbacks well face, ever.

4. I think Rob Gronkowski was that guy where it didnt matter how great you defended him all game. The defense knew that he was going to find a way to seal himself off or get himself open and find a way to score. He was definitely the toughest tight end to face, because he knows Tom Brady is going to find a way to get him the ball. He was a mental problem because he had a great quarterback (and this season hell have him again) and hes a big dude who can move and be physical. It was always a battle. But we knew to keep guarding him, keep battling, because otherwise hes going to make plays.

5. I think that the fact that I had to come into the NFL the hard way, undrafted, practice squad, building my way up from nothing, is the reason that so many players around the league respect me. They know nothing was handed to me. I wouldnt change anything about my career. Ive had to work hard for everything I got. But the fact that Ive had so many great experiences, met so many great people and been able to give back to my community helps me feel like Ive done it the right way. I have veered outside of the box in many things, whether its business or activism, when the moment calls for it. But to me, its all a blessing. My life and career are things Ive been graced with, and I dont take any of it for granted.

6. I think that one of my favorite parts of living and playing in New York was being able to see Broadway shows on date nights with my wife. The last two we saw were two of my favorites, Aint Too Proud, about the Temptations, and Tina, the Tina Turner Musical. Those left a lasting impression on me.

Before I actually signed with New York, we saw Hamilton on Broadway with the original cast. Id heard so much about it and Id seen how high the ticket prices were, so I knew there was hype, but when the curtain went up and they started rapping? It blew my mind, it blew my wifes mind. My first thought was the play was something classes should be taking their students to see, to start that conversation on U.S. history.

I have a bunch of different playlists on my phone depending on the mood Im in and Wait for It, where Leslie Odom Jr. sings as Aaron Burr, is on my Inspiration playlist. It gives me chills and goose bumps. Sometimes thats what Im listening to before games, its that good.

7. Like I said, Im coming home to play in Houston this season, and I think my quarterback, Deshaun Watson, will be this years league MVP. You can call me a homer because hes my quarterback and my hometown quarterback. But I believe he has the skill set and the weapons around him to play at that level. He has a team thats built to win right now.

The DeAndre Hopkins trade was a major story for the entire NFL community, and now its all clearly on Deshaun. The team believes in him and he believes in himself, and I think that hes the type of dynamic quarterback who can rack up points for his offense. Like I said, everyone is going to be looking to him now that DeAndre Hopkins is in Arizona, and I feel that hes built to answer that call. At the end of this season, hell not only be in the race for MVP, but hell win it.

8. I think Saquon Barkley is in for a record-breaking season in his third year. I remember when I first saw him with the Giants ahead of the 2018 season. This was pre-pandemic times, so everyone was bringing draft talent in for visits. I saw him in the hallway taking a tour before the draft and I said, Thats the guy from Penn State? He just looked like a player crafted in a lab, and that was while he was in regular clothes.

When it came to the draft, with Cleveland having the first and fourth pick and us in between with the second, I knew that if they used their first pick on a quarterback, we had to do the right thing and take this kid. And thank God we did. From the day he stepped into our facility, he brought a different energy to the team and I think it was much needed at the time. You just knew he would be a captain. Hes a natural-born leader.

Im talking about all his qualities off the field. But when you see him on the field, it just feels different. Everybody whos ever seen him, played with him or played against him knows this kid is a generational talent. He had an amazing first year and made the Pro Bowl. Then he got injured last year and I know it hindered him. Now, hes hungry. You can see from the workout videos hes posting that hes primed to get back to it. Hes the type of guy who can run the ball, catch the ball, bring it out of the backfield, just do it all. With a new head coach and a new system in New York this year, I dont think anything, short of injury, will stop him from having a breakout year.

9. I think that if you lined up all the NFL players with the fastest 40-yard dash times for a foot race, Tyreek Hill would win. I think he could beat just about any player in the league in a foot race. There are so many guys that are blazing fast, can run a quick 40 or have that speed on the track, but his football speed is just different. Tyreek has the track background and it translates to the game.

To be clear, this is coming from me, a guy who isnt even in the conversation. Even if we did race, it wouldnt be entertaining. They wouldnt even put odds on it in Vegas, because everyone already knows how that story would end.

We always see a lot of competition between players on social media, and its especially pronounced right now when everyone has a lot of time on their hands. Were all itching to just get out there and compete. Thats what we do. Thats whats separated us from other kids all our lives. Hes been posting to see if anyone will take him up on a foot race, and a few people have weighed in but honestly, I dont think many people want that smoke. My friend Jakeem Grant did step up and say hed take the challenge. Jakeem, I love you, Ill root for you, but I think that Tyreek could beat all the fastest guys in the league on pure speed.

10. I think I want to see defensive players have the same marketability and opportunities as the faces of the league as offensive players. Richard Sherman is probably the closest thing we have. He built that larger-than-life persona at the height of the Legion of Boom in Seattle and thats the sort of thing we need. The bigger a player like Richard Sherman is, the better it will be for the next generation of defensive superstars, like a Jamal Adams, so that they can continue to grow their marketability and raise their platform.

I think about Ndamukong Suh getting an $100 million deal while I was in Miami, and how crazy people thought it was, because he was a defensive lineman. Maybe this is just wishful thinking for our next generation of players, but Id love to see day of the $200 million contract for a defensive player, a half a billion-dollar contract like were seeing for the quarterbacks and offensive players.

Beyond that, its about the off-field marketability, and I think to achieve that from the defensive side of the ball, you have to be willing to be the villain. Everyone wants to see points scored, to see the 50-50, high-flying game marked by touchdown after touchdown. Fans need it, fantasy football needs it, Vegas needs it, the television ratings need it. But as defensive players, were here to stop all that. Were here to shut people down. To get as many opportunities as we can, I think we have to be willing to embrace that villain person to become the larger-than-life figure thats sought after for deals, endorsements and big contracts.

Obviously that persona has to come with performing on the field, and thats why I think Jamal Adams is probably the next big thing who could fill that outsized role after Richard Sherman. His productivity on the field is there. I dont know what exactly the hype looks like maybe its commercials, like Troy Polamalu with the hair, or maybe its getting to the point where, like Sherm, hes big enough to make it on the cover of Madden. Whatever it is, I just want that for our defensive players, that shine, visibility and compensation, even if it means leaning in to that role as a villain.

Link:

Why Colin Kapernick should be in the NFL, by Michael Thomas - NBC Sports - NFL