Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick told Lester Holt of NBC News that Jay-Z still feels compelled to justify partnerships with the league and with Target. The remarks followed a July concert in which Jay-Z referenced Kaepernick, an NFL settlement, and criticism of the retailer deal.

A spokesperson said Kaepernick will not sell his forthcoming memoir The Perilous Fight at Target and is instead touring with the National Association of Black Bookstores. Target did not comment at once.

Kaepernick said the 2019 reaction to Jay-Z’s NFL work remains a live issue in 2026 and that continued public comments look like an attempt to recast the dispute.