Colin Kaepernick Drops Absolute Bombshell On The NFL After Losing Over $150 Million
Colin Kaepernick blames the NFL for huge financial losses.
Colin Kaepernick is holding nothing back this week.
The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback effectively lost his NFL career after leading intense protests against racial injustice. Specifically, he began kneeling during the playing of the national anthem throughout the 2016 football season. His peaceful actions quickly sparked fierce national debates and polarized sports fans across the entire country.
He has been public enemy number one ever since.
Colin Kaepernick never Receives Another Chance
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (Kyle Terada-Imagn Images)
Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers to become a free agent in early 2017. However, no team offered him a contract despite his proven talent and prior Super Bowl appearance. Critics strongly argued that league owners collectively blacklisted him due to the heavy political controversy. Consequently, Kaepernick filed a formal collusion grievance against the NFL for keeping him out of the league.
The two parties reached a confidential financial settlement to resolve the legal battle in 2019. In fact, he continued to hold private workouts for years in hopes of making a professional comeback. Ultimately, the prolonged absence from the league officially marked the end of his active playing career.
Colin Kaepernick Blames the League for a Nine-Figure Personal Hit
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images)
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick recently opened up about the staggering financial cost of his league exile. Specifically, he estimates that being blacklisted by team owners deprived him of over $150 million in potential football earnings.
“Kaepernick, in his physical prime at 29 and three years removed from leading the 49ers to the Super Bowl, went home and waited for calls from other teams,” the San Francisco Standard reported.
“A decade later, he’s still waiting — essentially blacklisted from the sport he loved after protesting police violence by taking a knee during the national anthem. For those acts of protest, Kaepernick was banished and deprived of earnings he estimates at $150 million.”
Despite what he lost, Colin Kaepernick has no regrets.
“I’ve been very focused on doing the work. I mean, I want to make sure we’re doing it, moving things forward, having impact. But the other part is, there was a realization that I was being positioned as the sole figure to be able to represent the movement, and I need to create space for other people to step up and be leaders. I think of Ella Baker [a Black hero of the civil rights movement] — her work centered around, yes, we need strong leaders, but we need strong people collectively,” he told The Standard.
Ultimately, he believes the league continues to actively blackball him while running purely performative marketing campaigns.
