*Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick says his national anthem protest in 2016 cost him more than $150 million and his NFL career. Ten years later, Kap says he would make the same choice again.
“I am often asked, ‘Would you do it again?’ And the answer is yes,” Kaepernick told the San Francisco Standard.
The admission came during an extensive interview with veteran sports journalist Scott Ostler, during which Kaepernick spoke about his new autobiography, “The Perilous Fight.”
“It was costly,” Kaepernick said. “It cost me my football career that was 20-plus years in the making, something I loved dearly.”
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Kaepernick Never Stopped Knocking on NFL Doors
Kaepernick’s final NFL appearance came with San Francisco in January 2017. However, his latest comments challenge any impression that he voluntarily abandoned football.
He told the Standard that his representatives repeatedly approached NFL teams during the following decade. “Over the last 10 years, we have consistently reached out to teams, over and over again, knocking on every door possible,” he said.
Kaepernick also revealed that he personally contacted 49ers CEO Jed York in 2022 after quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo suffered an injury. “I’ve been training, I’m ready,” he recalled telling York.
Kaepernick said York promised to speak with head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch. “And I never heard back,” Kaepernick said.
He also worked out for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 but did not receive a contract. Kaepernick said Raiders owner Mark Davis praised the workout. He also recalled positive reactions from then-coach Josh McDaniels and a scout. Kaepernick offered his own theories about why the Raiders passed.
“The only conclusion I can come to is, they either got a call from the commissioner or other owners, or it was a marketing play the whole time. Those are the only conclusions that seem rational in my mind,” he said.
A Decade Later, Kaepernick Revisits the Protest
The interview arrives shortly after Kaepernick clarified another longstanding detail surrounding his protest. As EURweb previously reported, Kaepernick said former teammate Eric Reid first suggested kneeling during the national anthem. He and Reid made that decision before meeting former Green Beret Nate Boyer, who has often received credit for suggesting the gesture.
Now Kaepernick is revisiting the larger consequences of the social-political demonstration. He lost an NFL career but also believes the choice expanded what he could accomplish through activism. That impact outweighs the personal and financial price.
“The impact I know it’s had,” he said, “I don’t think that can be overstated.”
Kaepernick says he did not stop loving football. He decided the cause behind his protest was worth what football ultimately cost him.
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