Colin Kaepernick: ‘I Would Do It Again’ — A Decade After the Anthem Protest

“I would absolutely do it again.”

A decade after the gesture that made him an icon—and which he believes cost him his place in the sport he loves—Colin Kaepernick says he has no regrets.

In September 2016, Kaepernick knelt during the U.S. national anthem before a game, launching a peaceful protest against racial injustice and police brutality.

The act inspired many and divided just as many.

In his first interview with BBC Sport since that moment, Kaepernick reflects on his journey, expressing pride in seeing England footballers take the knee, discussing athlete activism, the intersection of sports and politics, and the personal cost of becoming a figurehead for the civil rights movement.

“I knew the protest could potentially cost me my career,” he says. “History shows us that this is a reality for athletes.”

“We see this in broader movements as well—consequences that extend far beyond losing a career and can cost lives. Malcolm X was assassinated. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. The consequences are real.”

After initially sitting to protest the treatment of Black people in the United States, Kaepernick first knelt during the Star-Spangled Banner before a San Francisco 49ers preseason game. He repeated the gesture before 11 regular-season games that year.

At the time, he said he could not stand and show pride in a flag “for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color,” adding: “This is bigger than football, and it would be selfish of me to look the other way.”

Many viewed his stand against racial inequality as heroic, inspiring other NFL players to join him. Others condemned the gesture, calling it disrespectful to the military.

Among the critics was Donald Trump, then a presidential candidate.

Trump called the act “a terrible thing” and unpatriotic. He suggested Kaepernick should find another country to live in and said players who refused to stand for the anthem should be fired.

The NFL said it would fine teams whose players refused to stand.

Kaepernick opted out of his contract with the 49ers in March 2017, though team management later said he would have been released regardless.

Despite leading the 49ers to the 2013 Super Bowl and throwing 16 touchdowns in his final season, one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league never signed with another team.

Speaking from New York, Kaepernick says he anticipated the reaction to taking a knee. “What I couldn’t have predicted was the people who would show up for me in meaningful ways—and those who worked against me and the movement,” he adds.

Kaepernick eventually filed a grievance against NFL team owners, alleging they conspired to keep him out of the league because of his protests. He reached a financial settlement in 2019.

That year, the NFL arranged a private workout for Kaepernick, but he declined to attend, holding his own session elsewhere so media could be present. Hopes of a comeback never materialized.

The NFL later admitted it was “wrong for not listening to players earlier” and encouraged “all to speak out and peacefully protest.”

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