Kaepernick says NFL still blackballing him a decade after kneeling protest

Colin Kaepernick, now 38, says he no longer watches the NFL, accusing the league of actively blackballing him and targeting teammates who protested. He has instead turned his attention to college football and to social-justice initiatives like Know Your Rights and funding autopsies in police cases. Kaepernick’s kneeling began in 2016 after extensive reading on Black liberation and police brutality, leading to his 2017 release and a collusion lawsuit with Eric Reid that was settled in 2019. In interviews and a forthcoming memoir, he argues the NFL’s post-George Floyd statements are insufficient and that the league remains unchanged. He emphasizes that legacy is not his focus; he wants to influence change through education, advocacy, and community work. The coverage coincides with renewed discussion of his decade-long protest and its lasting effect on sports and social justice.