How Much Did Colin Kaepernick Make In The NFL?

Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, has been a free agent since 2017. He hasn’t been signed by an NFL team since he became a free agent, but he has made money through other means.

How Much Did Colin Kaepernick Make In The NFL?

Colin Kaepernick is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons. He played college football at Nevada and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. As a member of the 49ers, he reached the NFC Championship Game in each of his first three seasons and helped the team reach Super Bowl XLVII, where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens. In 2016, Kaepernick began kneeling during the pre-game playing of the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial inequality. He opted out of his contract with the 49ers at the end of the season and became a free agent.

His Salary

According to multiple reports, Colin Kaepernick was set to make a base salary of $11.9 million in 2017, with a signing bonus of $1 million and a roster bonus of $2 million. He was also due a workout bonus of $400,000. In total, that would have taken his 2017 compensation up to $17.3 million.

His Bonuses

In 2017, Colin Kaepernick signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the 49ers, with the chance to make up to $4 million in incentives. The contact was restructured in October 2017, after he opted out of his contract. The new deal gave him a base salary of $700,000 for the season, and he could have earned an additional $300,000 in bonuses. Half of that bonus money was contingent on him being on the roster for the first game of the season, and the other half was based on him being active for at least eight games. He was also eligible to earn up to $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses, but he did not because he was not on the 49ers’ 53-man roster for any games in 2017.

His Endorsements

In addition to his salary from the 49ers, Kaepernick has signed several multimillion-dollar endorsement deals. His biggest deals are with Nike (NKE) and Electronic Arts (EA).

In September 2018, Nike made Kaepernick the face of its “Just Do It” 30th anniversary campaign. It was a controversial move, but Nike’s sales rose in the days after the ad debuted. It’s not clear how much Kaepernick was paid for the deal, but it is likely worth millions of dollars.

Kaepernick also signed a deal with EA in 2016 to be the face of its “Madden NFL” video game franchise. That deal is reportedly worth $1 million per year.

How Much Is Colin Kaepernick Worth Now?

Colin Kaepernick is an American professional football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at the University of Nevada, Reno, and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. In 2016, he became the first NFL player to kneel during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial inequality. As of 2021, Colin Kaepernick’s net worth is $20 million.

His Salary

In early 2017, Kaepernick negotiated a restructured contract with the 49ers that included a clause prohibiting the team from trading him without his permission. He was released by the 49ers in March of that year.

Kaepernick had signed a six-year, $126 million extension with the 49ers in 2014 that included $61 million in guaranteed money. At the time of his release, Kaepernick was scheduled to earn a base salary of $14.5 million in 2017 and count $15.9 million against the salary cap.

The quarterback opted out of his contract in March of 2017 and became a free agent. He has not been signed by another team since becoming a free agent.

His Bonuses

When he was first drafted, Kaepernick’s base salary was $375,000 with a signing bonus of just over $2 million. In his first year as a starter, he made $1.13 million. The collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association put a limit on how much salaries could increase from year to year, so Kaepernick’s second-year salary only rose to $1.005 million. He received a slight raise to $1.073 million in his third year with the team. In 2014, Kaepernick signed a six-year extension with the 49ers worth up to $126 million. His base salary rose to $973,766 in 2015 and $11.9 million in 2016. He also had annual workout bonuses worth up to $1 million in each of those seasons. Kapernick’s 2017 salary became fully guaranteed when he was released by the 49ers in March of that year.

His Endorsements

Colin Kaepernick has been a free agent since 2016, but he continues to make headlines both on and off the field. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback is one of the most polarizing athletes in recent memory, and his protests during the national anthem drew both acclaim and criticism. But even though he’s no longer playing in the NFL, Kaepernick is still making plenty of money.

Kaepernick’s biggest source of income is his Nike endorsement deal. He signed a multi-year extension with the company in 2018, and while the exact terms of the deal were not disclosed, it’s estimated to be worth at least $5 million per year. He also has deals with other companies like Bose, Beats by Dre, and MusclePharm. In all, Kaepernick is thought to be earning about $10 million per year from endorsements.

In addition to his endorsement deals, Kaepernick also has a book deal and a contract with Netflix. His memoir, “A Dream Worth Pursuing,” was released in 2020, and he reportedly received a seven-figure advance for the book. His Netflix deal is for a six-part documentary series called “Colin in Black & White.” It is set to premiere in February 2021 and will focus on Kaepernick’s high school years. Financial terms of that deal have not been disclosed, but it is thought to be worth several million dollars.

All told, Colin Kaepernick’s net worth is estimated to be around $20 million. Not bad for someone who hasn’t played in the NFL in four years!