NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was the Washington Post’s top priority ahead of Super Bowl LX on Sunday.
Kaepernick was described in the story as the “most relevant” character in Super Bowl LX, although the 49ers didn’t make it and the story’s subject has been outside of football for nearly 10 years.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Eli Harold (58), quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) and safety Eric Reid (35) kneel in protest during 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 stadium, where his protests made him a national lightning rod and global symbol,” Adam Kilgore wrote of Kaepernick. “The social issues surrounding America’s greatest sporting spectacle clearly echo what motivated 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 continues to assess Kaepernick’s legacy after he launched a kneeling protest against social injustice in the United States and questioned his voice amid outrage over the Trump administration’s illegal immigration policies after two deadly incidents involving federal agents in Minnesota.
The story sparked immense reactions on X.
Although the review of Kaepernick’s protest was met with enthusiasm, the statement he made during his post-playing career remained largely untouched by history, save for mention of the books he co-wrote with his wife, the shelved ESPN documentary with Spike Lee, and his involvement in the Know Your Rights campaign.
SUPER BOWL LX SINGER BRANDI CARLILE SAYS SHE WILL KEEP HER “MORAL CODE” IN MIND DURING PERFORMANCE
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) breaks 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 accusing the league of blackballing him during the 2017 offseason, preventing him from signing with a new team. He received an NFL-sanctioned tryout, which was canceled at the last second in favor of a tryout he had arranged with his team.
In 2020, Kaepernick called for the abolition of police and prisons in an essay published on Medium. A book published by his eponymous publishing house also called for a world “without and beyond police and prisons” a year later.
He later appeared in a Netflix documentary comparing the NFL draft to the slave trade.
“What they don’t want you to understand is that what’s being established is a power dynamic,” Kaepernick said while walking around an NFL-hosted practice field. “Before you put on the field, the teams search you, push you and examine you for any defects that could affect your performance.”
“No respect for boundaries,” continued Kaepernick, who earned more than $40 million during his time in the NFL. “No dignity is left untouched.”
Colin Kaepernick looks to throw a pass during a private NFL practice held at Charles R Drew High School on November 16, 2019 in Riverdale, Georgia. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PK Press Club APP
Kaepernick maintained he remains ready for another shot in the NFL. He will be 39 in November.
