The crowd at the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces Game 2 matchup cheered when former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick appeared on the Jumbotron at Barclays Center.
Kaepernick was celebrated as a former quarterback and current activist by the WNBA crowd.
Kaepernick received the title of controversial figure after he began kneeling on the sideline during the national anthem to protest social injustice and police brutality in America.
The 36-year-old former quarterback hasn’t played in the NFL since 2016, but he’s been candid about his desire to return to the very league he sued.
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Kaepernick sued the NFL for collusion, claiming the 32 teams in the league kept him out of football. The NFL reportedly paid the former San Francisco 49ers quarters between $1 and $10 million once the case was settled in 2019.
Fast forward to 2024, the former second-round pick revealed that he is considering a comeback to the NFL. During the Paris Olympics, Kaepernick said he was still training.
“It’s something I’ve trained my whole life for, so to be able to step back on the field, I think that would be a major moment, a major accomplishment for me,” Kaepernick said. “I think I could bring a lot to a team and help them win a championship.”
Earlier this season there was speculation that Kaepernick would make his return to the league, but in a different capacity. Rumors swirled that the former quarterback would join Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers as a coach this season.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said Kaepernick wouldn’t be joining the Los Angeles coaching staff this season.
“I love Colin, but he’s not going to be on the coaching staff, which is set for this year. And he’s not going to be playing on the roster either,” Harbaugh said.
Harbaugh coached the former quarterback during his tenure with the 49ers from 2011-14. The pair had discussed Kaepernick becoming a coach since Harbaugh was the head coach at Michigan.
“I have thought that for a long time. Just the respect that I have for the football mind he has and the football man that he is,” Harbaugh said. “[Late Raiders owner] Al Davis saw something in me that made him think I would be a good coach, and I see those same qualities in Colin. If it is something he chooses.”
For now, there hasn’t been any further update regarding Kaepernick’s return to the NFL in any capacity.
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