Sports · 2026-10-27 · Afternoon briefing

Kaepernick has no regrets over career-ending protest, ten years on

Ten years after first kneeling during the US national anthem, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick insists he has no regrets, despite believing the act ended his career. In September 2016, Kaepernick began protesting racial injustice, a gesture he repeated before 11 games that season. He opted out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers in March 2017 and was never signed by another team.

The exile was stark for a player who had led his team to the 2013 Super Bowl and threw 16 touchdowns in his final season. Kaepernick filed a grievance against NFL owners, alleging they conspired not to hire him, which resulted in a financial settlement in 2019. The league itself later admitted it was "wrong for not listening to players earlier" and encouraged peaceful protest.

The gesture, which drew condemnation from figures like Donald Trump, was later adopted by athletes worldwide. Following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, "taking the knee" became a widespread symbol, with Kaepernick noting his surprise at seeing England's national football teams use the protest.

Summary written by Cup of News with AI from the sources below. Check the originals for the full story.

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• 'I would do it again' - Kaepernick reflects on price of protest, 10 years on
• Colin Kaepernick looks back 10 years after NFL protest
• Colin Kaepernick, 10 years after protest, won’t watch NFL: ‘I watch college football’

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