Junior Galette Claims To Have Been Blackballed “Just Like Colin Kaepernick” In $300 Million Lawsuit Against NFL, NFLPA
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Former Saints defensive end Junior Galette has reportedly filed a 21-page lawsuit against Commissioner Roger Goodell, the NFL Players Association, and several different teams. A total of seven teams were named as part of Galette’s lawsuit, including Seahawks, Commanders, Rams, Raiders, Browns, Chiefs, and Panthers. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
The complaint alleges that Galette was blackballed “just like Colin Kaepernick” and that he was put on the blacklist by NFL owners for speaking out against the Commanders, formerly known as the Washington Redskins. Galette claims that the Commanders had committed racial discrimination against him. During contract negotiations with Washington in 2018, Galette reportedly compared his deal with the deal Trent Murphy had received and then later took to social media. Galette claimed he was “not playing for no slave deals I’ll die before I play for more slave deals.”
When visiting with the Raiders, Galette alleges that former head coach Jon Gruden told him that he was one of the best pass rushers he had ever seen, but all they had for him was a veteran’s minimum $660,000.
Galette also alleges that Head Coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams told him that they were “all fired up” to have him after agreeing to sign for the veteran minimum, but was taken back to the airport after a staff member told him there was a “change of plans” just as he was preparing to practice with the team. Galette is reportedly seeking $300 million in damages from the various defendants. When asked about why the deal with Galette fell through, McVay stated at the time “It just didn’t work out for reasons that we will keep inside.”
No comments have been made yet by the NFL.
Galette is a former undrafted free agent coming out of the 2010 NFL Draft, becoming a vital piece for the New Orleans Saints defense. Galette earned a four-year extension with the Saints after netting over 30 sacks, but was released only months later.
ProFootballTalk has more HERE.
This is not the first time Galette has made these accusations, as the former defensive end claimed to have been blackballed in his open letter to Roger Goodell in 2020. Galette alleged that players were punished harshly if they were found to have any involvement with police officers. Galette also reportedly stated that the National Football League should adopt the principle of “innocent until proven guilty.”
“Far too often, the NFL penalizes players — sometimes severely — for encounters with law enforcement before receiving due process; players are treated as ‘guilty until proven innocent,’ in the eyes of both the NFL and the public who sees only the punitive action. This creates a domino effect, exacerbated by the same systemic racism you referenced.”
The letter continues on to say that Galette was not the only black NFL player to have their career impacted by the type of actions aforementioned.
“Countless Black NFL players endure unfair treatment and are held to a different standard by the league, teams, and the media. The over-policing of young Black men impacts players’ earning potential and, worse, leaves dreams deferred.”
SportingNews has more about the Open Letter HERE.
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