Colin Kaepernick Reflects on NFL Exile, Protests, and His New Memoir

Colin Kaepernick's decision to kneel during the national anthem in 2016 to protest police brutality and racial injustice ignited a national debate, ultimately leading to his exile from the NFL. Now, nearly a decade later, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback is sharing his perspective in his new memoir, "The Perilous Fight."

In an interview, Kaepernick explained that his protest was a spontaneous act, inspired by historical figures like Rosa Parks and Muhammad Ali. "I didn’t want to stand up while that song was playing," he wrote in his memoir. "Rosa Parks had refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white person in 1955. Muhammad Ali wouldn’t step forward when his name was called by the draft board for the Vietnam War in Louisville in 1967. Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised black-gloved fists in the air during the playing of the anthem at the 1968 Olympics. They didn’t like what they saw, the way this nation touted its commitment to justice and at the same time showed little interest in it, and they took action."

Despite leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2013 and having a solid 2016 season, Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since. He and former teammate Eric Reid, who joined him in kneeling, settled a collusion lawsuit against the league in 2019.

Kaepernick stated that he intentionally limited interviews during the peak of the controversy to allow other voices to emerge and to avoid being made the sole focus of the movement. He felt there was a deliberate effort to discredit him as a player and a person to undermine the broader cause.

He highlighted Eric Reid as an athlete who bravely continued the protest and faced similar consequences. Kaepernick also acknowledged the support from athletes across other sports, including LeBron James, Steph Curry, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, and Megan Rapinoe, who used their platforms to speak out.

A surreal moment from his high school days, where a team faced food insecurity after kneeling in protest, underscored the dire realities on the ground for many, even as the national conversation raged.

Kaepernick described receiving numerous threats, including bomb threats, during the height of his protest. He recounted his now-wife, Nessa, advising him to stay elsewhere for safety. Despite the threats, he maintained a sense of calm, attributing it partly to a "football mentality" of being prepared for any situation.

He expressed concern that his exile served as a warning to other athletes, forcing them to choose between their careers and activism. "The fact that they have made that a conversation, that people feel like they have to choose, that is the very thing that I have to continue to fight against," he said.

Kaepernick firmly stated that he never considered standing for the anthem to secure a return to the NFL, viewing such a move as a moral concession. "There is never going to be a moment where I take a position of, 'Hey, I'll stand up so I can get my career back,'" he explained.

Kaepernick detailed conversations with several NFL teams, including the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, and Las Vegas Raiders, about potential signings. He recalled the Seahawks asking him to commit to not kneeling before a potential workout and the Raiders' owner Mark Davis discussing his potential signing after an airport encounter. He also spoke about reaching out to Jim Harbaugh about a potential role with the Los Angeles Chargers, only to be told Harbaugh was unwilling to pursue it.

Regarding his relationship with the national anthem today, Kaepernick stated, "I don’t go out for the Star-Spangled Banner. I’m either seated where I'm at, or I'm not out there at all, and then show up when it's time for the actual game to come on."

He also touched upon his relationship with his adoptive parents, acknowledging their love but also the complexities of navigating racial experiences as a Black child in a white household. He characterized his current relationship with them as being in a "good place," though still complex.

Kaepernick defended his comparison of the NFL business to slavery, citing author Bill Rhoden and Curt Flood's perspective that "a well-paid slave is a slave nonetheless." He explained his 2016 decision to wear socks depicting police as "cartoon pigs" as a message against police brutality, questioning why such an act was considered more offensive than police killings of Black people.

He addressed the shelving of an ESPN documentary about him, stating that while the project is finished, they are seeking new partners due to "creative differences" and the network's shifting priorities, potentially linked to their NFL media rights negotiations.

Responding to criticisms of the "woke" movement and calls to defund the police, Kaepernick reiterated his support for abolishing policing and reallocating resources to communities. He believes the institution of law enforcement has not fundamentally changed since his protests began.

Kaepernick characterized Donald Trump's actions as the first instance of a president targeting a citizen and stated he does not agree with Trump's political views. He dismissed the NFL's $450 million pledge to social justice organizations as a "PR play," citing past conversations between owners that aimed to stop the protests.

While NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell admitted the league was wrong not to listen to protesting players earlier, Kaepernick expressed no forgiveness, pointing to the league's alleged race-norming practices as evidence of ongoing systemic issues.

Kaepernick also addressed Jay-Z's recent lyric referencing him, calling it an attempt to create a "false equivalency" between his own legal settlement and Jay-Z's business deal with the NFL. He stated he never signed a non-disparagement clause.

Looking back, Kaepernick reflected that he might have unintentionally created space for his narrative to be misconstrued by not publicly addressing disagreements, a strategy he employed to maintain focus on the protest's intention.