Colin Kaepernick has changed his thoughts on voting and the political process.
The former NFL quarterback, who last played in the league in 2016, when he began kneeling for the national anthem, said that year that he felt it would be hypocritical for him to engage in the voting process. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback told reporters that he was against “oppression” and refused to take part in the U.S. Presidential Election, which pitted Donald Trump against Hillary Clinton.
“You know, I think it would be hypocritical of me to vote,” Kaepernick told reporters in November 2016. “I said from the beginning I was against oppression, I was against the system of oppression. I’m not going to show support for that system. And to me, the oppressor isn’t going to allow you to vote your way out of your oppression.”
But the 38-year-old former NFL quarterback has changed his mind.
Jaime Crawford/Getty Images
In his upcoming memoir, “The Perilous Fight,” Kaepernick announced that he has changed his opinion on voting and the political process. He is crediting New York City, as he voiced his support for NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Kaepernick admitted that he feels it’s “irresponsible” to not engage in the voting process, which is a right every American citizen has.
“The realization coming out of the 2016 election is how significant the implications can be of not voting, even if you don’t fully think this candidate represents you, and I’ve seen that,” Kaepernick told NBC News. “We’ve seen it with the Supreme Court. We’ve seen it with federal judges.”
“Part of trying to seek the best way for us to move forward and have impact is also realizing the moments where the intention of the perspective was right, but the strategy behind it actually wasn’t,” he added.
Kaepernick, who did not vote in the 2016 election, admitted that he voted for Democrat candidates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections.
The former 49ers quarterback is a huge Mamdani supporter.
“When we talk about leaders that are moving the needle right now, I think we’re seeing real impact coming out of Mamdani,” Kaepernick told NBC.
“It is very refreshing for a lot of people to see someone in a political role saying, ‘I am prioritizing the people’s needs. I’m going to hold people accountable to that, and we are just going to execute and deliver on this over and over again.’”
Kaepernick still has goals to play in the NFL
Kaepernick is still training daily, with eyes on an NFL comeback, even as he approaches his 40s.
However, while Kaepernick has been training hard, he’s not watching the NFL anymore.
“I’m not gonna support an organization that one, is actively blackballing me, but two, has targeted my brothers who have been protesting as part of this as well,” Kaepernick told NBC News. “I watch college football.”
Kaepernick’s memoir comes out on September 15.
