Kaepernick willing to accept backup quarterback role if given a chance

19 April 2022 - 16:47 By Reuters
subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now
Colin Kaepernick interacts with fans during the Michigan spring football game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on April 2 2022. Kaepernick was honorary captain for the game.
Colin Kaepernick interacts with fans during the Michigan spring football game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on April 2 2022. Kaepernick was honorary captain for the game.
Image: Jaime Crawford/Getty Images

Colin Kaepernick remains committed to making a National Football League (NFL) comeback and would accept a role as a backup quarterback to make it happen, according to the latest episode of the “I Am Athlete” podcast.

Kaepernick sparked a polarising countrywide debate in the US in 2016 when he protested against racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem before games and has not played in the NFL since that year.

“I know I have to find my way back in. So, yeah, if I have to come back in as a backup, that's fine,” Kaepernick, 34, told former NFL players Brandon Marshall, Chad Johnson and Pacman Jones on the podcast.

“But that's not where I'm staying. And when I prove that I'm a starter, I wanna be able to step on the field as such. I just need that opportunity to walk through the door.”

Kaepernick's protests during the pregame renditions of The Star-Spangled Banner when he was playing for the San Francisco 49ers were aimed at drawing attention to police brutality against minorities.

Kaepernick had a 1-10 record as a starting quarterback in 2016 and has gone unsigned after opting out of his contract that off-season. Many experts believe his political activism is the key reason teams are wary of signing him.


subscribe Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package.
Subscribe now