Colin Kaepernick's supporters rally outside NFL office

NEW YORK (AP) — Hundreds of supporters of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick are rallying outside the New York City headquarters of the National Football League to support him.

Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem as a protest against police brutality and is now without a team. His supporters say he's being blackballed. The free agent once played in the Super Bowl but hasn't been signed by any football club.

Some critics say it's about his ability as a player. Others say he should have stood for the anthem.

The NAACP sent a letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday about the situation, saying it's "no sheer coincidence" Kaepernick is unsigned. The civil rights organization wants a meeting with the NFL to discuss the situation.

Derrick Johnson — the NAACP's interim president and CEO — says "no player should be victimized and discriminated against because of his exercise of free speech."