The NFL will not be on the right side of history until it apologises to Colin Kaepernick directly or assigns him a team, according to New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins.
In a video released on Friday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell conceded the league did not listen early enough when players protested against racial injustice and police brutality.
Goodell said: "We, the National Football League, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.
"We, the National Football League, believe black lives matter."
His words followed widespread protests across the United States - further demonstrations have since taken place throughout the world - after the death of African American George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota last month.
The commissioner's statement also came after a video featuring several star players, including Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, called on the league to "admit wrong in silencing our players from peacefully protesting."
Goodell did not specifically mention Kaepernick, who has been out of the league since the end of a 2016 season that saw him become the first to protest by kneeling during the national anthem.
Jenkins, the co-founder of the Players Coalition to end social injustice and racial inequality, told CBS': "I still don't think [the NFL has] gotten it right.
"Until they apologise, specifically, to Colin Kaepernick, or assign him to a team, I don't think that they will end up on the right side of history.
"At the end of the day, they've listened to their players, they've donated money, they've created an Inspire Change platform. They've tried to do things up to this point.
"But it's been one player in particular that they have ignored and not acknowledged, and that's Colin Kaepernick."