The National Football League, though we love it so, needs an extreme makeover. This isn’t a profound statement. Roger Goodell and his Good Ol’ Sunday Boys Club have a topsy-turvy methodology of implementing and reinforcing their code of conduct. Substance abuse, domestic violence, and players vocalizing their frustrations with everything and the ever-present social implications the league finds itself involved in is just a tide pool in the ocean of the mess that is America’s beloved NFL.

But I’ll keep politics out of this one. It seems a bit counterintuitive to demand the politics behind the movements of one of the most socially polarizing public figures of the last year, but I’d like to talk about Colin Kaepernick’s direct role in the NFL.

It doesn’t matter which side of the issue you stand on, the National Anthem protests and the way they affect the careers of those who engage in them versus the effects that criminal charges have on player careers should infuriate you. Colin Kaepernick made a choice to allow his fame and public attention serve as a platform. He has a story to tell and he chose to do so at his place of work. Whether or not athletes who play on grand stages should be held to a higher standard of keeping things on or off the field can certainly be debated, sure. I have my own thoughts on the existence or nonexistence of a double standard or whether or not there are unfair expectations for people who are just trying to live their lives, but that’s not what I’m talking about here.

As of right now, Colin Kaepernick is unemployed. His controversial social stances have landed him without a job. Is that to any fault of the NFL as an organization? Probably not. Individual owners and general managers have their own thoughts and opinions on the kind of people they want representing their organizations, just like you or I do. That’s just the thing though: the kind of people who they want representing them.

So why do guys like Dallas Cowboys’ Defensive End Greg Hardy, who was convicted of severe domestic abuse charges, who decided that it was OK to put his hands on a woman with the intent to harm her, have a starting position with one of the most illustrious franchises in NFL history? Why do men like former Baltimore Ravens’ running back Ray Rice, who was recorded on video knocking his fiancee out in an elevator, win his suspension appeal from the NFL? Of course, no owner dared to pick him up after that due to the public relations nightmare that would ensue, but does someone who chooses to kneel for the Star Spangled Banner deserve the same kind of treatment?

If the NFL wants to decide that it can’t stand behind players who choose to legally express their freedom of speech, but continue to employ people who inflict physical harm upon others, then America’s favorite nonprofit has got some bigger problems than just public relations. Perhaps it’s unfair to look at Roger Goodell and the 32 owners and ask them to behave ethically when their own jobs and the triple bottom line are at stake, but it is worth questioning where our own values lie when we’re willing to condemn Colin Kaepernick for lawfully protesting yet cheer for Jerry Jones and company every Sunday and dote on men like Ezekiel Elliot, who was allegedly involved in intense domestic violence allegations and won his six game suspension appeal. It’s not just Cowboys fans, either. It’s all over the league. Last year, the New York Giants kicker Josh Brown received a one game suspension after his wife came forward with accusations that he had been physical over 20 times in the course of their relationship. A one game suspension and the rest of his career was back to normal, but Colin Kaepernick just can’t get signed by anyone.

Maybe Kaepernick is out of line in exploiting his fame to take a social stance. Maybe he’s well within his rights as an American citizen, a public figure, and an employee of an organization. Regardless, think twice about your decision to support or condemn him without first looking at the bigger problems and consistencies present in the NFL and the way that it conducts itself.