Colin Kaepernick Says He Does Not Watch The NFL After Being Blackballed For Taking A Knee During National Anthem

Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick told NBC that he refused to watch the NFL, but still enjoys watching college football.

“I’m not gonna support an organization that, one, is actively blackballing me, but two, has targeted my brothers who have been protesting as part of this as well,” said the former QB.

Kaepernick last played in the NFL in 2017 and spent his entire career with the 49ers. He was the man behind the controversial movement where players would take a knee during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and civil rights, which essentially ended his football career.

When he became a free agent at the end of the 2017 season, no team signed him, and he believed the owners were colluding to keep him out of the league.

He filed a grievance with Eric Reid, his former teammate, against the NFL and its owners, but later withdrew it in 2019 after reaching a confidential settlement.

The movement didn’t die with him; after the George Floyd protests, kneeling became a major form of protest again in the NFL, with players from every team taking part and, at times, the entire team.

He continued to fight for civil rights off the field as well, starting “Know Your Rights” camps and his own foundation.

Kaepernick has since expressed interest in returning to the league, but never has gone through with it or had it work out.

He told NBC in the same interview that he prefers the college game, which is growing in popularity across the country since the change to the playoff format.

Kaepernick, now 38, has probably run out of time to return to football, but he remains a notable civil rights activist.