Colin Kaepernick Says NFL Is Still Blackballing Him A Decade After Kneeling Protest

Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick Says NFL Is Still Blackballing Him A Decade After Kneeling Protest

The #NFL allegedly still feels some type of way about Colin Kaepernick’s peaceful protest.

Ten years after Kaepernick first took a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality, the former #49ers quarterback says he still believes the NFL pushed him out of the league for good. Speaking to NBC News, Kaepernick said, “I’m not gonna support an organization that one, is actively blackballing me, but two, has targeted my brothers who have been protesting as part of this as well.” He noted he can’t point to one specific moment that proves it, but believes that once his political stance became public knowledge as a free agent in 2017, no team was willing to take the risk, despite his on-field résumé.
#Kaepernick went on to file a collusion grievance against NFL owners in 2017, which he and former teammate #EricReid settled in 2019. He also described a strange, informal support network of coaches and general managers who reportedly told him they wanted to sign him but were “getting shut down above” them, including then-Ravens coach John Harbaugh.

For its part, the NFL claimed that the issues Kaepernick raised remain important and pointed to more than $575 million in contributions through its Inspire Change initiative since 2017. Now 38, Kaep says he still trains as though he could return to the field, while also working on outside business ventures. He’s set to receive the Muhammad Ali Center’s Humanitarian of the Year Award on Nov. 7 for his work on racial justice and underserved communities. He is also releasing his memoir, “The Perilous Fight,” on September 15.