Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who kicked off the “take a knee” controversy in professional football, has filed a formal grievance with the NFL. Here’s hoping it gets the short shrift it deserves.

Kaepernick is accusing NFL team owners of colluding to deprive him of a job as a professional football player. That is punishment for his activism in refusing to stand when the national anthem is played prior to NFL games, he contends. Kaepernick prefers to kneel, ostensibly to protest mistreatment of African-Americans by police.

Part of his contention is true. Kaepernick has been unemployed since March.

He has one person to blame: Colin Kaepernick.

Kaepernick had a job with the 49ers. But at the end of last season, he opted out of it. He chose to become a free agent, in effect shopping himself to other NFL teams. Perhaps he was hoping his celebrity status would land him a better contract than what he had in San Francisco.

How Kaepernick’s grievance will play out is anyone’s guess. Let us hope the NFL does not allow political correctness to decide the issue.