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Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was top of mind for The Washington Post ahead of Super Bowl LX on Sunday.
Kaepernick was described in the story as the “most relevant” figure in Super Bowl LX even though the 49ers didn’t make it and the subject of the story was out of football for almost 10 years.
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San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Eli Harold (58), quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) and free safety Eric Reid (35) kneel in protest during the playing of the national anthem before an NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium on October 6, 2016. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
“The game will be played in his old home stadium, in the place where his protest made him a national lightning rod and a global symbol,” Adam Kilgore wrote about Kaepernick. “The social issues surrounding America’s greatest sporting spectacle have clear echoes of what drove his actions and what led to his exile. And yet he remains out of the conversation and invisible within the confines of the NFL.”
The story continued to assess Kaepernick’s legacy after he launched a kneeling protest against social injustice in the US and questioned his voice amid outrage against the Trump administration’s policy on illegal immigration following two deadly incidents involving federal agents in Minnesota.
The story generated an immense reaction in X.
While the examination of Kaepernick’s protest was viewed with enthusiasm, statements he made in his post-playing career remained largely intact in the story, other than a mention of the books he co-authored with his wife, the ESPN documentary with Spike Lee that was shelved, and his involvement in the Know Your Rights campaign.
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) comes out of the pocket against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium on December 15, 2013. (Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)
Kaepernick settled his lawsuit with the NFL after he accused the league of blackmailing him during the 2017 offseason, preventing him from signing with a new team. He received an NFL-sanctioned test, which was canceled at the last second in favor of one he took with his team.
In 2020, Kaepernick called for police and prison abolition in an essay published on Medium. A book published through his eponymous publishing house also called for a world “without and beyond police and prisons” a year later.
He then appeared in a Netflix documentary that compared the NFL Draft to the slave trade.
“What they don’t want you to understand is that what’s being set up is a power dynamic,” Kaepernick says as he walks across an NFL practice field. “Before putting you on the field, teams poke, prod and examine you for any defects that could affect your performance.”
“There are no boundaries,” continued Kaepernick, who earned more than $40 million during his time in the NFL. “No dignity is left intact.”
Colin Kaepernick looks to make a pass during a private NFL workout held at Charles R Drew High School on November 16, 2019 in Riverdale, Georgia. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
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Kaepernick has maintained that he remains ready for another NFL opportunity. He will turn 39 in November.
