The NFL's offer to Colin Kaepernick for a one-on-one meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell was met with a request that a mediator be present, and that request has been denied, Kaepernick's attorney Mark Geragos said, according to ESPN.
"We responded immediately that Colin would be happy to attend," Geragos said in a statement obtained by ABC News. "Because of the grievance, we asked that a mediator be present. A mediator also would ensure that the discussions were productive and confidential and not used as a PR stunt or prop by the league. Colin's proposal was rejected."
However, league spokesman Joe Lockhart told ESPN's Joe Trotter that the NFL has not heard back from Kaepernick.
"Mr. Geragos' statement alone violates the collective bargaining agreement, breaking the confidentiality of the grievance process. So he can save his lecture on PR stunts. The invitation remains open," Lockhart said.
The league's invitation to Kaepernick comes on the heels of league meetings involving owners and players discussing the subject of protests during the national anthem. The movement began when Kaepernick took a knee during "The Star-Spangled Banner" last season. He has yet to play in the NFL since the end of that campaign, filing a grievance against owners for collusion.
