49ers CEO doesn't believe Kaepernick is being blackballed

San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York doesn't believe Colin Kaepernick is being blackballed by NFL owners.

"Obviously, there's the lawsuit that's going on so it's hard for me to get into any details or really share my opinion but I don't believe that there's base to that claim that he's being blackballed," York said Thursday, via ESPN's Nick Wagoner.

Kaepernick, who played quarterback for York's 49ers for six seasons, has become the poster boy for NFL player protests during the national anthem, making him a polarizing figure across the country.

The 29-year-old is currently suing the NFL for collusion, alleging owners are forming an unofficial pact not to sign him after he became a free agent following the 2016-17 season.

York took part in a meeting earlier this week between owners and players, and afterward praised the socially fueled message that players are attempting to highlight by kneeling or raising a fist during the national anthem.