Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick is estimated to have lost out on roughly $150 million after taking a knee for the national anthem in 2016.
Kaepernick last played in the league in 2016, when he began kneeling for the national anthem. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback went unsigned a few years after leading his team to a Super Bowl appearance. Kaepernick likely lost out on a nine-figure contract.
“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.”
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Kaepernick has remained committed to his cause.
“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.
He remains interested in an NFL comeback, though it’s highly unlikely.
“Over the last 10 years, we have consistently reached out to teams, over and over again, knocking on every door possible, and that’s shown up [publicly] in a few instances, the most recent one being 2022, the workout with the Raiders. For me, I want to make sure that at any point in time, if my door is knocked on, that I’m ready to go,” he added.
Nessa, his wife, remains surprised by how at peace he is
Kaepernick’s wife, Nessa, remains surprised by how he’s handled losing out on a nine-figure, life-changing payday.
“In the 10 years since Colin @kaepernick7 began his peaceful protest, the personal sacrifice has been enormous. Because of the stance he took, he lost his NFL career, more than $150 million, and dealt with betrayal along the way. After everything it has cost him, I wanted to know how he’s still been able to find joy and peace,” she shared.
It’s an impressive mindset for Kaepernick to have.
