Colin Kaepernick is essentially blackballed from the National Football League. Last season, Kaepernick took a knee during the playing of the National Anthem. He did so to bring awareness to the plight of Black people at the hands of law enforcement officers.
Kaepernick is an accomplished American football quarterback. He has led his team into the Super Bowl. When his $14.5 million contract with the San Francisco 49ers entered an opt out period following the 2016 season, he elected to opt out of this contract.