Colin Kaepernick’s 10-year journey from NFL star to a lasting symbol of athlete activism and social change(Getty)
Kaepernick lost his NFL career but continued his work outside football
His final NFL appearance came on January 1, 2017, against the Seattle Seahawks. The sides reached a confidential settlement on February 15, 2019. In June 2020, Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league should have listened more closely to players who raised concerns about racial injustice.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told Wyche after the Packers game. That changed after a few days, when Kaepernick sat during the anthem before playing against the Green Bay Packers. After the game, he explained his decision to NFL reporter Steve Wyche. He became a free agent after the season and never played another NFL game. Kaepernick and Reid later filed grievances against the NFL, alleging that team owners colluded to keep them out of the league. The NFL eventually acknowledged its own handling of player protests.
On September 1, 2016, he knelt beside teammate Eric Reid before the 49ers played the San Diego Chargers. During the 2017 WNBA Finals, the Los Angeles Sparks stayed in the locker room during the anthem, while the Minnesota Lynx linked arms before Game 1.
Former WNBA star Diana Taurasi later said athletes wanted Kaepernick to know that “we have his back.” After speaking with former NFL player and retired Green Beret Nate Boyer, Kaepernick changed his approach from sitting to kneeling.