Does Colin Kaepernick Still Play In The NFL?
A lot has changed since Colin Kaepernick first took a knee during the National Anthem. We take a look at where he is now and if he still plays in the NFL.
Overview
Colin Kaepernick is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football for the University of Nevada, where he was named the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Offensive Player of the Year twice.
Who is Colin Kaepernick?
Colin Kaepernick is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football for the University of Nevada, where he was named the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Offensive Player of the Year twice. After graduating, he was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. As a member of the 49ers, Kaepernick began his career as a backup to Alex Smith, and became the starting quarterback midway through the 2012 season after Smith suffered a concussion. He then remained the starting quarterback for the team until he opted out of his contract in 2017.
What teams has he played for?
Colin Kaepernick is a quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he was named the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Offensive Player of the Year twice and became only the second player in NCAA Division I FBS history to amass 10,000 passing yards and 4,000 rushing yards in a career. After graduating, he was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft.Kaepernick began his professional career as a backup to Alex Smith but took over as starting quarterback midway through the 2012 season after Smith suffered a concussion. He then remained the starter for the rest of that season and led them to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XLVII. The following year, he helped lead them to their first NFC Championship victory since 1994. During the 2014 season, his first full year as starting quarterback, Kaepernick helped lead the 49ers back to the NFC Championship Game for a third consecutive year; however, they were defeated by eventual Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots.
Why is he no longer in the NFL?
There are a number of reasons why Colin Kaepernick is no longer playing in the NFL. The most likely reason is that he is seen as a controversial figure and many teams are reluctant to sign him because of the potential for distraction. Kaepernick has also been accused of not being fully committed to football and some believe that he is more interested in using his platform to campaign for social justice issues.
The Controversy
Colin Kaepernick, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, stirred up a lot of controversy when he began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016. He did this to protest police brutality and racial inequality in the United States. Some people supported his protest while others thought it was disrespectful. Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since 2016, but there is a lot of speculation as to whether or not he will be signed to a team in the future.
What caused the controversy?
In 2016, Kaepernick sparked a national conversation about race and police brutality by kneeling during the National anthem to protest the killings of unarmed black men by law enforcement. His actions divided the country, with many people supporting his right to protest and others calling it disrespectful. The following year, Kaepernick became a free agent, but no team has signed him since then, leading some to believe that he has been blacklisted by the NFL.
How did the controversy affect Kaepernick’s career?
Since Colin Kaepernick first took a knee during the national anthem before an NFL game in 2016, he has been a lightning rod for controversy. Some people believe that he is protesting racial injustice and police brutality, while others believe that he is disrespecting the flag and the military. Regardless of what people think about his reasons for taking a knee, there is no question that it has had a significant impact on his career.
In the 2016 season, Kaepernick’s protests drew praise from some and criticism from others, but it didn’t seem to have much of an effect on his on-field performance. He started 11 games for the San Francisco 49ers and threw for 2,241 yards with 16 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. His team went 1-10 in those games, but that was largely due to the fact that they had one of the worst rosters in the NFL.
The 2017 season was a different story. Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers and became a free agent. No team signed him, and many believe that it was because of his protests. He did not play at all during that season, and some people questioned whether he would ever play in the NFL again.
The 2018 season brought more uncertainty for Kaepernick. He filed a grievance against the NFL, alleging that teams were colluding to keep him out of the league because of his protests. A few teams showed interest in signing him during training camp, but ultimately decided against it. He did not play during that season either.
As we enter 2019, Kaepernick remains unsigned and it is unclear if he will ever play in the NFL again. His career has been defined by his protests, and it remains to be seen if those protests will ultimately cost him his job.
What was the resolution of the controversy?
After several months of controversy, Colin Kaepernick and the NFL came to an agreement in late 2016. Kaepernick agreed to a settlement with the NFL which included a confidentiality clause, so the terms of the deal are not public. However, it is believed that Kaepernick was given a certain amount of money as part of the settlement.
Kaepernick Today
Since Kaepernick’s silent protest of kneeling during the national anthem, he has undergone much public scrutiny. He was even dubbed “the most hated man in America” by some people. Despite all of this, he continues to stand up for what he believes in. So, what is Kaepernick doing now?
What is Kaepernick doing now?
Kaepernic is an american football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the San Francisco 49ers in 2016.
Does he still play football?
No, Colin Kaepernick is not currently playing football in the NFL. He became a free agent in 2017 and has not been signed by any team since then. In October 2019, he reached a confidential settlement with the NFL, effectively ending his collusion case against the league.
What are his future plans?
Since becoming a free agent in 2017, Colin Kaepernick has not been signed by an NFL team. In October 2017, he filed a grievance against the league’s owners, alleging they had colluded to keep him unsigned. In February 2019, an arbitrator ruled that there was insufficient evidence supporting his claim.
In August 2020, Kaepernick and Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid settled their collusion grievances with the NFL for less than $10 million each.
Kaepernick remains unsigned and has said he will continue to fight for social justice. He has also hinted at a possible return to the NFL, although it is unclear if any teams are interested in signing him.