Colin Kaepernick marks 10 years since kneeling
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first knelt during the national anthem before a preseason game in San Diego on September 1, 2016. His protest against racial injustice and police brutality sparked a national debate.
On the September 21, 2026, episode of his podcast, Adam Carolla criticized Kaepernick’s hairstyle and questioned his motives. Coverage of the remarks appeared the following day, as Kaepernick promoted his memoir, The Perilous Fight.
What Adam Carolla said about Kaepernick’s hair
On his September 21 podcast, Adam Carolla claimed Colin Kaepernick had grown out his hair to appear more Black. He contrasted Kaepernick’s current hairstyle with photos from his high school and college years and called him a “race hustler.”
Carolla linked his interpretation of Kaepernick’s appearance to the former quarterback’s activism. Kaepernick was also promoting his memoir, The Perilous Fight, which was released on September 15.
Carolla compares Kaepernick to Obama and Harris
During his September 21 podcast, Adam Carolla compared Colin Kaepernick with former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris. Carolla claimed that all three emphasize their Black heritage while giving less attention to other parts of their family backgrounds.
Kaepernick grew up in Turlock, California, with white adoptive parents. Carolla invoked Kaepernick’s upbringing while questioning how he presents his racial identity.
Kaepernick’s new memoir arrives in September
Kaepernick released a memoir titled The Perilous Fight on September 15, 2026, through Legacy Lit, an imprint of Hachette Book Group. The book traces his childhood in Turlock and the years leading to his 2016 anthem protest.
An audiobook version narrated by Kaepernick himself is also available on Audible for listeners nationwide. The release date lines up closely with the 10th anniversary of his first kneeling protest against police violence.
Kaepernick tours cities to promote his book
Colin Kaepernick’s fall book tour began in Detroit on September 12, 2026, three days before The Perilous Fight was released. His schedule has also included Brooklyn, Harlem, New Orleans, Atlanta, Sacramento and Los Angeles, with additional stops listed through November.
Kaepernick has discussed the memoir in recent media appearances. Adam Carolla’s September 21 comments about him came during the tour.
Kaepernick reflects on his 2016 anthem protest
Colin Kaepernick began protesting during the national anthem by sitting before a 49ers preseason game in August 2016. He first knelt before the team’s September 1 preseason game in San Diego. He cited racial injustice and police brutality as reasons for his protest.
On the September 16, 2026, episode of The Ringer’s Higher Learning podcast, Kaepernick discussed his protest, racial identity and NFL career while promoting his memoir, The Perilous Fight.
Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since 2016
Kaepernick last played for the San Francisco 49ers during the 2016 regular season before opting out of his contract in March 2017. He became a free agent and was not signed by another NFL team afterward.
Kaepernick later filed a grievance accusing NFL owners and teams of colluding to keep him off rosters because of his activism. The NFL and Kaepernick’s lawyers reached a confidential settlement in February 2019, and the specific terms were not disclosed.
Kaepernick has received honors for his activism
In July 2026, the American Civil Liberties Union honored Kaepernick with its first Ralph Ellison Award for Defenders of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the Arts, Business, Science, and Sports. The award recognized his continued advocacy for civil rights and civil liberties.
In August 2026, the Muhammad Ali Center announced that Kaepernick will receive its 2026 Humanitarian of the Year award on November 7 in Louisville. The honors highlight his continued activism and community work since his final NFL season in 2016.
Fun fact: Colin Kaepernick played 6 NFL seasons entirely with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2016, passing for 12,271 yards, 72 touchdowns, and 30 interceptions.
Carolla has a history of provocative remarks
Adam Carolla is a comedian and podcaster who has commented on political and social topics for more than a decade on his own show. His program regularly covers celebrity news, sports, and current events for a large national listener base.
Days before targeting Kaepernick, Carolla made graphic remarks about a Texas Senate candidate’s media appearance on a radio program. Commentators have since questioned whether his rhetoric has grown sharper in recent months.
The term race hustler has a longer history
The phrase race hustler predates Carrolla’s comments about Kaepernick by several years in American political commentary circles. Commentator Candace Owens used the same term against Kaepernick during a 2020 Conservative Political Action Conference speech held in Maryland that year.
Owens argued at the time that Kaepernick and other Black public figures profited financially from activism work. The label has since been repeated by multiple critics of Kaepernick’s public statements over the years.
Kaepernick is now a father of one daughter
Kaepernick is now a father to a 4-year-old daughter, according to his recent public interviews this year. He has said fatherhood added urgency and purpose to the activism work he began a decade ago in 2016.
Kaepernick has said he does not want his daughter to think fighting for civil rights ends a person’s career. He continues public speaking events alongside his current book promotion tour across the country.
Police killings in 2026 inform his message
As of September 2026, 836 people have been killed by police officers in the United States so far this year. Kaepernick has cited that figure publicly as evidence that his original 2016 concerns remain unresolved for many communities today.
He has said nationwide police funding has not been meaningfully reduced since his protest began nearly a decade ago in 2016. Kaepernick argues the current data still supports continuing his advocacy work.
The former quarterback is back in the spotlight after making a bold statement about his playing ability. Colin Kaepernick believes he can outplay many NFL QBs; he explains what he said and why it is drawing attention.
The term “race hustler” predates Carolla’s remarks
The phrase “race hustler” appeared in U.S. political commentary well before Adam Carolla used it to describe Colin Kaepernick in September 2026.
Candace Owens criticized Kaepernick during a speech at the 2020 Conservative Political Action Conference. Contemporary reporting documents her criticism of his public statements, but does not establish that she used the specific phrase to describe him in that speech.
Kaepernick’s latest remarks have brought renewed attention to the anthem debate that has followed his NFL career. Explore why Colin Kaepernick reignites the anthem debate with a blunt remark.
What do you think about Adam Carolla’s comments on Colin Kaepernick? Share your take on the controversy in the comments.
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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