Colin Kaepernick says his football career is not over. In a new interview, He said he believes he could still help several NFL teams today. He has not played a regular-season game since the 2016 season, yet he said he still believes he can play at an NFL level.
The comments landed the same week his new memoir hit shelves. The interview came one day before his new memoir was released. Here is a closer look at what he said, how his career unfolded, and where his comeback hopes stand today.
A new interview reignites comeback talk
Colin Kaepernick spoke with Us Weekly for a story published on September 14. He told the outlet he still keeps his cleats by the door. The 38-year-old said he and his team are ready to move the moment a chance appears.
The interviewer asked how many of the league’s 32 current starting quarterbacks he could outperform. Kaepernick admitted he has not been watching games closely enough to give an exact number. He said he plans to study the stat sheets and believes the number would still be solid.
His response echoes claims he has made for years about his readiness to play. His latest comments renewed discussion about his potential return to the NFL. The latest remarks keep that debate alive heading into the 2026 season.
Looking back at his NFL playing career
Kaepernick entered the NFL in 2011 as a second-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers. He spent his entire 6-year career with that franchise. During his career, he threw for 13,794 yards and rushed for 2,300 yards.
Kaepernick helped San Francisco reach Super Bowl XLVII during the 2012 season. The 49ers lost that game to the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 34 to 31. He also set an NFL playoff record for rushing yards by a quarterback.
Over his career, Kaepernick threw 72 touchdown passes against 30 interceptions. He finished with a record of 28 wins and 30 losses as a starter. His final three seasons in San Francisco were far more difficult than his first three.
The knee that changed everything in 2016
During the 2016 preseason, Kaepernick began sitting during the national anthem. He said the gesture was meant to protest police violence and racial inequality in the United States. By September, he switched from sitting to kneeling.
Former Army Green Beret Nate Boyer suggested the kneeling gesture as a way to protest while still honoring military members. Several teammates and other players around the league soon joined him. The move drew sharp criticism from fans, team owners, and political figures.
The protest drew continued criticism during the season. San Francisco finished the 2016 season with a 2-14 record. When the season ended, Kaepernick opted out of his contract rather than wait to be released.
A legal battle that ended in a settlement
Kaepernick did not sign with another NFL team after leaving San Francisco. He filed a grievance alleging that NFL owners had colluded to keep him from playing. Kaepernick filed a grievance alleging that NFL owners had colluded to keep him from playing.
Former teammate Eric Reid joined him in the same grievance. The case proceeded through arbitration before both sides reached a confidential settlement in February 2019. Both sides eventually reached a private agreement rather than let the case continue.
The NFL and Kaepernick announced a settlement in February 2019. The exact terms were never made public. The settlement ended the legal dispute, while Kaepernick continued to seek an NFL return.
Years of workouts and comeback attempts
In 2019, the NFL arranged a workout for Kaepernick in Atlanta that all 32 teams were invited to attend. Kaepernick did not take part in the workout after his representatives and the NFL disagreed over the event’s terms.
In 2022, he took part in a public throwing session at the University of Michigan spring game. That same year, the Las Vegas Raiders hosted him for an official workout at their facility. He also trained privately with Seattle receiver Tyler Lockett and reached out to coach Pete Carroll.
In 2023, several NFL stars joined Kaepernick for a throwing session at Nike headquarters in Oregon. Players such as CeeDee Lamb and Jaylen Waddle praised his arm strength afterward. Public reports of an official team workout have been rare since that stretch.
Fun fact: Colin Kaepernick was a 2-time WAC Offensive Player of the Year at Nevada.
Building a life and voice off the field
Away from football, Kaepernick has stayed active in social causes. He founded the Know Your Rights Camp, which focuses on empowering young people and communities. He has also used his platform to speak on issues of racial justice.
Kaepernick launched his own publishing imprint focused on stories about identity and justice. Through that imprint, he helped write the picture book We Are Free, You and Me. He also released a graphic novel called Change the Game.
These projects expanded his work beyond football and activism. They also kept his name in cultural conversations even without an NFL uniform. His work outside football has remained part of his public career.
A memoir arrives on a symbolic date
Kaepernick’s memoir, titled The Perilous Fight, was published on September 15 by Legacy Lit. The book was released 10 years after Kaepernick first knelt during the national anthem. Kaepernick narrates the audiobook version himself for Audible.
Legacy Lit describes the book as a memoir that also examines his activism. It traces Kaepernick’s path from his childhood in Turlock, California, to the decision that reshaped his career. The book also covers the years of activism that followed his protest.
In his announcement, Kaepernick said the public only saw the moment he knelt, not the years that led to it. He described the decision as the result of long personal reflection rather than a sudden choice. The book provides Kaepernick’s account of the experiences that led to his protest.
What would a real return actually require?
A genuine NFL return would require more than public praise from current players. Any team considering him would likely need to evaluate his current football ability and conditioning. Any team considering him would need to evaluate his current football ability and conditioning after his lengthy absence from NFL game action.
History offers few examples of quarterbacks returning to the league after such a long layoff. His long absence from NFL game action would remain a factor for any potential team. He has not played in an NFL regular-season game since 2016.
Even so, Kaepernick has not shown any sign of giving up on the goal. Kaepernick has said returning to the field would provide the closure he wants from his football career. Whether that story includes another NFL snap remains an open question.
TL;DR
- Kaepernick told Us Weekly he still feels ready to play in the NFL.
- He believes he could outperform a good number of current starting quarterbacks.
- His 6-year run with the 49ers included a Super Bowl appearance after the 2012 season.
- His anthem protests in 2016 led to a collusion grievance and a 2019 settlement.
- His memoir, The Perilous Fight, launched the same week as his comeback comments.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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