It has been a very long team since Colin Kaepernick has been in the NFL after his 2016 release from the San Francisco 49ers shortly after he lost his starting spot to Blaine Gabbert. Kaepernick also had three surgeries that off-season, as he performed poorly heading into what would be his final year.
However, it's roundly accepted that Kaepernick is not away from the NFL just because of his play on the field, but his stances and his opinions off of it.
During his final year, Kaepernick refused to sing the American national anthem and famously took a knee during the pre-game to protest against police brutality and racism. This had been off the back a number of police-involved deaths of black Americans including Eric Garner, Laquan McDonald, Tamir Rice, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Philandro Castile and Alton Sterling.
