Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick won't be playing in the league this fall, but he'll attempt to make some noise anyway.
Kaepernick, who last played in the NFL in 2016, is now 37 years old. He's made repeated comeback attempts, only to fall short, since kneeling for the national anthem with the 49ers. But he's keeping his name in the headlines, anyway.
The former NFL quarterback announced that he will be releasing a "manifesto" at the start of the 2026 season.
Kaepernick's book, “The Perilous Fight,” a new memoir, will be published through publisher Legacy Lit, on September 15, 2026 - right at the start of the new NFL season.
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The book release coincides with the 10-year anniversary of the first time Kaepernick took a knee during the playing of the national anthem before an NFL game.
“People saw the moment. But they didn’t see the years that made it possible: the questions about who I was; the injustices I could no longer ignore; the voices of those who came before me that I carried into that stadium,” Kaepernick, 38, wrote in the book announcement. “That journey, from a Black kid navigating an identity the world didn’t always make space for, to an athlete who realized the game was bigger than football, shaped everything. When I took a knee, it wasn’t a sudden act. It was the result of years of becoming. And what came after taught me the most important truth: this fight has never belonged to one person. It belongs to all of us. We fight for each other. We build with each other. We must fight for justice and equity with the courage and clarity this moment demands. That is how we build a future worth fighting for.”
The book will detail Kaepernick's life, going from a Black kid adopted to a white family in California, to starring in the NFL.
But Kaepernick is facing backlash for the announcement
"10 years since taking the knee??? Only in the U.S. would a person with such disrespect for their government be worth millions of dollars off of that stunt!" one fan wrote.
"Not again, he keeps popping up when very few want to listen to him. He is irrelevant and was/is an embarrassment to the game of football," one fan added.
"Insignificant human being like the rest of us. Had your 15 minutes. It's over!" one fan added.
Others, meanwhile, continue to praise him.
"Kaepernick gave up everything in the name of fighting for justice. That makes him a hero," one fan added.
"Its truly sad to imagine the amount of people hide behind their keyboards and fake user names to bash a man that literally gave up everything. He used his then status and platform to send a message across the athletic community to stand against a system that promotes injustice against millions. I have even seen discrimination within the armed services (and its literally swept under the rug). White privilege in the United States is still a thing and with this current administration it will NOT get any better. Best of luck Kaep. Thank you for keeping up the good fight," another fan shared.
But the big question - will the NFL let the book be released?
