Colin Kaepernick Promises To ‘Keep Pushing, Keep Fighting’ To Make NFL Return 

Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick Promises To ‘Keep Pushing, Keep Fighting’ To Make NFL Return

Colin Kaepernick isn’t ready to give up on his football career just yet.

While it’s been six years since Colin Kaepernick last played in an NFL game, the former 49ers quarterback is still training 5-6 times a week in hopes of getting back on the field.

During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Kaepernick vowed to “keep pushing.”

“I’m going to keep pushing. I’m going to keep fighting for it because I know I can step on the field and play.”

He continued,

“Every workout, every opportunity I’ve had to show that, the feedback has always been positive. Everything from, ‘He’s still an elite player,’ to ‘The workout was great; it was better than expected.’”

Colin Kaepernick

Although Kaepernick worked out with the Raiders in 2022, the athlete has yet to be picked up by an NFL team. The last time he put on an NFL uniform was back in 2017.

The former quarterback sparked nationwide debates when he chose to remain seated during the national anthem before a San Francisco 49ers game in 2016. He claimed the purpose of the protest was to increase public consciousness of systemic racism and police brutality.

In the weeks that followed, Kaepernick persisted in his protest, choosing to kneel during the anthem and sparking what became known as the #TakeAKnee movement. As a result, Kaepernick has seemingly been blackballed from the NFL.

Despite the time gap, he claims to still have what it takes to be an NFL quarterback.

“When I had my workout with the Raiders last year, even training with guys, there’s a decent amount of people who may have forgotten what I was capable of doing on the field, so any chance to be able to remind people of what I can do out there, I look forward to and embrace, and I look forward to the day that I get to step on the field and show people what I can do.”

During his interview, Colin Kaepernick blamed “political bias” for why no NFL team has given him a shot over the last six years.

“I’ve heard a lot of excuses over the years but most of the time it ends up, ‘Oh, we’re going to see how the guys that we have do.’ With the Raiders’ situation last year, that was [Jarrett] Stidham and Nick Mullens, which to me, you just compare résumés and capabilities, on top of the workout and the feedback, it’s like, ‘OK, cool.’”

Kaepernick just wants a fair opportunity and to not be judged based on the past.

“Obviously, there’s something else within this decision. To me, that’s typically what it ends up being, or has been for the last seven years. So, I just want the opportunity to come in, show what I can do on the field. Judge me based upon that, not the political bias that you have.”

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[VIA]