Why Did Colin Kaepernick Leave The NFL?

There’s been a lot of speculation about why Colin Kaepernick left the NFL. Some people say it’s because he was protesting police brutality and racism, while others say he simply wasn’t good enough to play anymore.

Whatever the reason, it’s clear that Kaepernick is no longer in the NFL. But the question remains: why did he leave?

Reasons For Leaving

Colin Kaepernick, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, opted out of his contract with the team in March 2017, becoming a free agent. He hasn’t been signed to a team since. Some believe that Kaepernick is being blackballed by NFL owners because of his protests against racial injustice and police brutality. Here are some of the reasons why Kaepernick may have left the NFL.

Protests

The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been a free agent since the end of the 2016 season. He drew national attention that year when he began kneeling during the pre-game playing of the national anthem as a protest against racial injustice. Other players joined his protest, and he became a lightning rod for criticism from those who saw the protests as disrespectful to America and its flag. Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers in 2017 and has not been signed by another team since. some have speculated that teams are reluctant to sign him because of his protests, but others have pointed to his declining on-field performance in recent years as the reason he remains unsigned.

Injuries

One of the many reasons Colin Kaepernick is no longer playing in the NFL is because of injuries. After multiple injuries, Kaepernick was benched in favor of Blaine Gabbert. In 2016, Kaepernick had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and Gabbert was named the starter for the season. In 2017, Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers and became a free agent. He has not been signed by another team since then.

Lack of Performance

In 2016, Colin Kaepernick was considered one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2012 and was one of the most exciting players in the league. But by 2017, he had fallen out of favor with NFL teams and was no longer playing.

There are a number of reasons why Kaepernick’s performance may have declined. First, he lost his starting quarterback job to Blaine Gabbert in 2015. This may have affected his confidence and made it difficult for him to get back on track. Second, he was dealing with injuries, including a torn rotator cuff that required surgery in 2016. Third, he was not adjusting well to new offensive schemes and did not look like the same player who had been so successful in the past.

Whatever the reasons for his decline in performance, it is clear that Kaepernick is no longer considered an NFL-caliber quarterback. As a result, he has been unable to find a team willing to sign him since he became a free agent in 2017.

Reactions to Leaving

Colin Kaepernick, former San Francisco 49ers Quarterback, created quite a stir when he decided to kneel during the National Anthem as a peaceful protest against racial injustice in America. This didn’t sit well with a lot of people, and as a result, Kaepernick became a polarizing figure. He eventually left the NFL, and people had a lot to say about it.

NFL Players

When Colin Kaepernick walked away from the NFL in 2017, he was one of the most high-profile athletes in the world. In just a few short years, he had gone from being a backup quarterback to leading the San Francisco 49ers to within one play of winning the Super Bowl. He had also become a lightning rod for political protest, first sitting and then kneeling during the national anthem to call attention to racial injustice in America.

But by walking away from the NFL, Kaepernick gave up millions of dollars and lost his platform as a professional athlete. So why did he do it?

In an exclusive interview with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” Kaepernick said he left the NFL because he felt the league was not doing enough to support its players’ right to protest.

“I asked [the 49ers] could they define what perfect looks like, because we’re all striving to be perfect,” Kaepernick said. “And they couldn’t define it.”

Kaepernick also said he believed teams were colluding to keep him out of the league because of his protests. He filed a grievance against the NFL in 2017, but it was ultimately unsuccessful.

NFL Fans

Some NFL fans were outraged when Colin Kaepernick decided to leave the NFL. They felt that he was ungrateful for the opportunities that the NFL had given him. Others were more understanding, believing that Kaepernick had the right to pursue his career elsewhere.

The Media

The media has been known to twist words and events to create a story that sells, regardless of the context or meaning. In the case of Colin Kaepernick, many believe that the media is at fault for his current unemployment. It all started with a peaceful protest during the national anthem to shed light on social injustice in America.

“He’s getting blackballed,” some say. While it’s impossible to know for sure, it’s worth considering that Kapernick is not the only NFL player to have staged a protest during the anthem. In fact, he’s not even the only one who is currently unemployed. Why, then, is he the only one facing such intense criticism?

It’s possible that the media is playing a role in Kapernick’s unemployment by painting him as a divisive figure. Whether or not that’s true, one thing is certain: the way the story has been reported has made it hard for Kapernick to find work in the NFL.

Where is He Now?

After Colin Kaepernick left the NFL, he became a free agent. He has not been signed to a team since his departure. Kaepernick has been linked to the XFL, but has not been signed by a team.

His Career

Colin Kaepernick was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He became the team’s starting quarterback midway through his rookie season and led the 49ers to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1994. During the 2013 season, he helped the 49ers obtain the NFC’s best record and a berth in Super Bowl XLVIII, where they narrowly lost to the Baltimore Ravens. After losing his starting job to Blaine Gabbert early in 2015, Kaepernick regained it later that season and led San Francisco to its fifth consecutive NFC West title. In 2016, Kaepernick decided to kneel during pre-game renditions of “The Star-Spangled Banner” as a means of protesting police brutality and racial injustice. He became a free agent after opting out of his contract with San Francisco at the end of that season and has not been signed by another team since leaving the 49ers.

His Personal Life

Kaepernick was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Heidi Russo, a 19-year-old white woman, and an African-American man named Edward Kaepernick who abandoned the family before Colin was born. Russo would later marry an army veteran named Rick Nagao. Kaepernick became close with Nagao, who introduced him to football and coached Colin in Pop Warner youth leagues. As a kid, he also idolized football player Randall Cunningham. In Turlock, California, where the family settled when Colin was four years old, he played Pee Wee League football with future NFL tight end Vernon Davis.

Kaepernick was a talented pitcher in high school, but chose to focus on football. He played quarterback for the Pitman High School varsity team during his junior and senior years of high school. In his senior year of high school, he was noticed by former University of Nevada offensive coordinator Chris Ault, who had invented the pistol offense. Ault recruited Kaepernick to play quarterback for the Wolf Pack.