Ten years after initiating his on-field protests during the national anthem, Colin Kaepernick maintains that the National Football League is actively preventing him from playing.
Kaepernick, who began kneeling during the anthem in August 2016 to protest police brutality and racial inequality, has not been signed by an NFL team since becoming a free agent in March 2017. He has repeatedly stated his belief that the league has blackballed him, a claim the NFL has consistently denied.
"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," Kaepernick told NBC News. "I watch college football."
While Kaepernick acknowledged there isn't one specific moment that solidified his belief, he pointed to his free agency status in 2017, following a season where he recorded a 1-10 record in 11 starts and was recovering from a knee injury. He expressed bewilderment that no team offered him a workout or contract, especially coming off a period where his team reached a Super Bowl and an NFC Championship game.
"Coming on the back of going to a Super Bowl, going to an NFC Championship, setting records, and not a single team would bring me in, even for a workout?" Kaepernick said. He still holds the NFL single-game playoff record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 181 yards, set during the 49ers' run to Super Bowl XLVII.
Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL in October 2017, alleging collusion among owners to keep him out of the league. He and teammate Eric Reid later settled their grievance in February 2019 for less than $10 million combined.
The NFL made an attempt to organize a workout for Kaepernick in November 2019, but he declined, citing concerns over a waiver that he believed would compromise his employment rights and future claims. Kaepernick then organized his own workout at a high school field, attracting representatives from seven NFL teams, though he was not signed.
In 2022, the Las Vegas Raiders held a workout with Kaepernick, which NFL legend Warren Sapp described as a "disaster."
Kaepernick's activism has also drawn criticism, notably a 2021 Netflix series, "Colin in Black & White," where he likened the NFL Draft process and scouting combine to a slave auction. This portrayal sparked significant debate.
Despite the NFL's initiatives such as the Inspire Change fund, expanded Rooney Rule, and work with the Players Coalition on social justice reform, Kaepernick believes the league's actions have not resulted in substantial change.
"None of their actions show that," he told NBC News. "We have seen it time and time again. For them, it has gone back to business as usual, and I think that is a tragedy that we have allowed them to be able to get to that point."
The NFL responded by stating, "The issues Colin and other NFL players raised remain important to the league and deserving of continued attention and action." The league also noted that since 2017, its efforts have reached numerous partners and been backed by over $575 million in contributions, affirming a commitment to listening, collaborating, and taking action.
Kaepernick continues to train as if he may play in the NFL again and is scheduled to receive the Muhammad Ali Center’s Humanitarian of the Year Award on Nov. 7 for his work against racial injustice and support of underserved communities.