I agree, but the league will never admit it. They will come up with a half-dozen other reasons first for the decline in ratings and popularity.
You're right, the league won't admit it.
But they don't have to.
You can see what's happening right now. Kaepernick is toxic.
You don't disrespect the national anthem, and thereby the United States, and play in the NFL.
The two acts are mutually exclusive.
Now the chickens are coming home to roost.
Nobody will sign Kaepernick, or if they do, it'll be for well bellow his market value, necause any team who signs him will lose massive amounts of revenue.
Money talks and bullsh!t walks. I hope Kaepernick enjoyed his one season being a disruptor, because the guy basically destroyed his NFL career.
At this point, I don't see how Kaepernick redeems himself, other than to issue some kind of groveling mea culpa...