Why did Colin Kaepernick stop playing football? Why did he start the kneeling movement?

On August 26, 2016, during a preseason game between San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers,the then -49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick opted against standing during the national anthem in protest against police brutality against the African-American community. While it is customary to stand during the national anthem, Kaepernick chose to kneel when the anthem was being played. More than three years since the 'Colin Kaepernick kneeling' movement started, fans still wonder what, if anything, lies ahead for the quarterback in the NFL.

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Why did Colin Kaepernick stop playing football? Colin Kaepernick kneeling movement

After kneeling during the national anthem for the first time during the preseason game, Kaepernick continued his protest against racial injustice throughout the 2016 NFL season. His protests were generally subject to polarising reactions. On the one hand, his actions were praised by several athletes in the United States. Olympic gold medalist Simone Manuel, and several others voiced their support for the Colin Kaepernick movement. On the other hand, Kaepernick was largely criticised for disrespecting the United States, primarily the armed forces of the country. 

Why did Colin Kaepernick stop playing football?

After the 2016 season, the 49ers told Kaepernick that he would be released by the franchise. On March 3, 2017, Kaepernick opted out of his 49ers contract, thus entering free agency. While it was expected that Kaepernick would be snapped by another franchise ahead of the 2017 season, a move failed to materialise for the quarterback who had firmly established himself as a political activist at that point. He went unsigned through the 2017 offseason, but reportedly held talks with the Seattle Seahawks. 

In November 2017, Kaepernick put another dent in his relationship with the NFL when he filed a grievance against the league claiming the owners are colluding against him in order to keep him out of the NFL. In February 2019, the quarterback withdrew his grievance after it was reported he had reached a confidential settlement with the league.

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Does Kaepernick still play in the NFL?

As of now, the answer to the question remains in the negative. After his legal battle with the league was over, Kaepernick started putting work in the gym and on the field in order to facilitate a move back to the NFL. In November 2019, the NFL set up a workout for Kaepernick in Atlanta, Georgia. All 32 NFL teams were invited to the private session with the media being barred during the workout. However, just 30 minutes prior to the workout session, Kaepernick abruptly changed his workout location to a nearby school in Atlanta that allowed the media to attend the session. The downside was that the privately held workout was attended by only seven NFL franchises.

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Does Kaepernick still play in the NFL? Colin Kaepernick movement

Despite being away from the NFL for three years, Kaepernick continues to remain one of the prominent sports personalities in the United States, especially for his work in support of the oppressed communities. The 32-year-old has reportedly donated over $1 million to multiple communities in the country and has taken part in several campaigns during his time away from the NFL. Recently, Kaepernick tweeted in support of the protesters expressing outrage at the killing of George Floyd - an unarmed African-American - by a police officer in Minneapolis.

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