Just like the Oscars, the NFL is reportedly scrambling to find people willing to have anything to do with them. Per Us Weekly, rumored Super Bowl halftime show headliners Maroon 5 can’t find anyone to perform with them, hence the holdout on announcing their big gig. And the problem supposedly isn’t Maroon 5 — well, not the whole problem. It’s reportedly that “no one wants to associate themselves with the NFL” due to its blacklisting Colin Kaepernick from the league over his kneeling in protest of police brutality. Both Rihanna and Pink are said to have turned down the job for that reason, leaving Maroon 5 the last option.
It was previously reported that Cardi B would be their guest, to perform both their hit “Girls Like You” and her own medley, but she’s a “no right now.” The NFL typically prefers to have younger bands bring friends; remember when Beyoncé and Bruno Mars were brought in to save Coldplay? With the February 3 date looming and calls for Maroon 5 to drop out, maybe there just won’t be a halftime show next year and we can all agree to take an extended bathroom break at that time like we were going to anyway.