Colin Kaepernick states he avoids NFL due to alleged blackballing
ESPN • 2 min read • Latest: Sep 1, 2026, 9:24 PM
Last updated Sep 1, 2026
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick stated in an interview with NBC News that he refuses to watch the NFL. The 38-year-old indicated he prefers college football instead of supporting an organization he claims is actively blackballing him. Kaepernick, who led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance following the 2012 season, has not played in the league since the 2016 season finale. His departure followed his decision to kneel during the national anthem to draw attention to social injustices. Kaepernick and former teammate Eric Reid previously sued the NFL for collusion, resulting in a 2019 settlement. During his time away from the league, Kaepernick has focused on social initiatives, including "Know Your Rights" camps and independent autopsy funding.
- •Colin Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since the 2016 season.
- •The former 49ers quarterback alleges the league is actively blackballing him.
- •Kaepernick and Eric Reid previously settled a collusion lawsuit against the NFL in 2019.
- •He currently focuses on his foundation work and "Know Your Rights" camps.
- 11:04 PMESPN — Kaepernick now shuns NFL for 'blackballing me'
- 10:34 PMYahoo Sports — Kaepernick says NFL 'blackballing me' decade after protest
- 9:24 PMYahoo Sports — Report: Kaepernick says that a decade after taking a knee, he shuns the NFL for 'blackballing' him
"Ten years after he first took a knee to protest US police brutality, Colin Kaepernick said he is still being blackballed by the NFL and no longer watches the "disingenuous" league.The idea that the league should have listened to protesting players "is so laughable in my mind, and so disingenuous," Kaepernick told NBC. "We had been trying to address the issue that the NFL created with blackballing me for years.
"Colin Kaepernick still watches football. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback told NBC News in an interview that he prefers to watch the college game instead. The 38-year-old Kaepernick, who led the 49ers to a Super Bowl after the 2012 season, hasn't played since the 2016 season finale, an exile that began not long after he started taking a knee during the national anthem to highlight social injustices.
"Colin Kaepernick told NBC News that he prefers to watch college football over the NFL because the NFL is "actively blackballing me."
Sources
External links- ESPNSep 1, 2026, 11:04 PMKaepernick now shuns NFL for 'blackballing me'
Colin Kaepernick told NBC News that he prefers to watch college football over the NFL because the NFL is "actively blackballing me."
- Yahoo SportsSep 1, 2026, 10:34 PMKaepernick says NFL 'blackballing me' decade after protest
Ten years after he first took a knee to protest US police brutality, Colin Kaepernick said he is still being blackballed by the NFL and no longer watches the "disingenuous" league.The idea that the league should have listened to protesting players "is so laughable in my mind, and so disingenuous," Kaepernick told NBC. "We had been trying to address the issue that the NFL created with blackballing me for years.
- Yahoo SportsSep 1, 2026, 9:24 PMReport: Kaepernick says that a decade after taking a knee, he shuns the NFL for 'blackballing' him
Colin Kaepernick still watches football. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback told NBC News in an interview that he prefers to watch the college game instead. The 38-year-old Kaepernick, who led the 49ers to a Super Bowl after the 2012 season, hasn't played since the 2016 season finale, an exile that began not long after he started taking a knee during the national anthem to highlight social injustices.
Original reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
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