When did Kaepernick begin protesting?

Few noticed the first protest by Kaepernick, on. Aug. 14, 2016, because it came before a preseason game in which he was not in uniform. He remained seated on the bench, out of uniform, for the second game as well, Aug. 20. Kaepernick’s gesture was first noticed before the third game, Aug. 26. After the game, he addressed his protest to members of the media for the first time, saying: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

There had been several shootings of unarmed Black men that summer, and Kaepernick acknowledged his actions could have consequences. “If they take football away, my endorsements from me,” he said, “I know that I stood up for what is right.” of a fallen brother’s grave, you know, to show respect.”

Kaepernick was booed throughout the game by Chargers fans and his protest began to gain national attention. He also announced he would donate $1 million of his $11.9 million salary to charities. “Once again, I’m not anti-American,” Kaepernick said. “I love America. I love people. That’s why I’m doing this. I want to help make America better.”

What was the initial reaction?

By the start of the 2016 season, Kaepernick had the top-selling jersey among NFL players, and the story was becoming national news. On Sept. 5, 2016, President Barack Obama defended Kaepernick, saying “he cares about some real, legitimate issues that have to be talked about.” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told The Associated Press, “I don’t necessarily agree with what he’s doing.” The first week of the regular season included other players taking a knee or raising a fist during the anthem.

How did his time with the 49ers end?

Kaepernick protested throughout the 2016 season, and he started 11 games as the 49ers

finished 2-14. He opted out of his contract after the season and, with a number of mediocre quarterbacks landing with other teams, suspicions grew he was being blackballed by NFL owners, who presumably didn’t want the attention that signing him would bring. He has not played professionally since the 49ers’ final game of that season, on Jan. 1, 2017.

How did story burst into a national debate?

Kaepernick was out of the NFL during the 2017 season, but protests and demonstrations reached a peak in the third week of play. Players skipped the anthem altogether or continued to protest, with some joining arms on the sideline. The Dallas Cowboys, joined by owner Jerry Jones, took a knee before the anthem was played at a Monday night game but rose for the anthem itself. In response to claims they were targeting the military, players took pains to clarify their message and pointed out they were trying to raise awareness of police brutality and social injustice.

Was Kaepernick OK to move on from football?

In the summer of 2017, there were reports the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants were interested in Kaepernick but backed off after hearing from some fans. The quarterback maintained all along he wanted to play, and on Oct. 15, 2017, he filed a grievance against the NFL, accusing its 32 teams of colluding to keep him out of the league.

Did NFL take action against protests?

During the 2017 season, the NFL and the Players Coalition reached an agreement for the league to provide financial support to players’ community activism endeavors. In the spring of 2018, NFL owners, players and executives met to discuss the protests, and an audio recording revealed players questioned why Kaepernick remained unsigned.

By mid-May, owners ruled players could no longer kneel

during the anthem without being subject to punishment but allowed that they could remain in the locker room during the anthem. The NFL Players Association filed a grievance over the policy in July and, after owners and the union agreed to put the policy on hold, players focused their efforts elsewhere.

How did Kaepernick’s grievance turn out?

On Aug. 30, 2018, arbitrator Stephen B. Burbank said Kaepernick’s lawyers had enough information for the case to proceed to a full hearing, marking an early win for the quarterback. In February 2019, Kaepernick and the NFL reached a settlement (as did Reid, who had similarly alleged collusion), with both sides signing a confidentiality agreement.

What happened next?

Kaepernick had transcended football by the start of the 2019 season. He became the face and voice of a Nike ad campaign that drew praise and criticism. He continued to have a role in shaping Nike’s decisions; the company dropped plans to produce a sneaker with a 13-star flag known as the Betsy Ross, in part because Kaepernick had privately criticized its use by racist groups. In an award-winning Nike ad called “Dream Crazy,” Kaepernick said, “Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything.”

Is Kaepernick’s football career over?

Kaepernick, 32, was invited to work out for NFL teams at the Atlanta Falcons’ training facility in November 2019. There were disputes over which teams would attend and a waiver the league asked Kaepernick to sign, and he ended up moving the workout to a high school more than an hour away. Eight scouts attended and, although Kaepernick said he had “been ready for three years,” he received no job offers.

“I’ve been denied for three years. We all know why. I came out here and showed it today in front of everybody. We have nothing to hide,” Kaepernick

said. “So we’re waiting for the 32 owners, the 32 teams, Roger Goodell, all of them to stop running — stop running from the truth, stop running from the people.”

What did he say after George Floyd’s death?

As the circumstances of Floyd’s death became known, Kaepernick tweeted in response. “When civility leads to death, revolting is the only logical reaction,” he wrote. “The cries for peace will rain down, and when they do, they will land on deaf ears, because your violence has brought this resistance. We have the right to fight back! Rest in Power George Floyd.” Kaepernick also started a legal-defense fund for protesters in Minneapolis.

What is the NFL’s stance?

In early June, Goodell filmed a video in which he said the league was “wrong in silencing our players for peacefully protesting” police brutality and social injustice during the anthem. That extraordinary admission was spurred by a video featuring the league’s young stars, including Patrick Mahomes, but absent from Goodell’s statement was an apology to or a mention of Kaepernick.

In late August, Goodell, in an interview with former linebacker Emmanuel Acho, was asked what he’d say to Kaepernick, if given the chance. “The first thing I’d say is I wish we had listened earlier, Kaep, to what you were kneeling about and what you were trying to bring attention to. ”

Goodell added, “We have never disciplined a single player for anything with the national anthem and in violation. And I don’t intend to. And I will support them.”