'Denied work for 889 days': Colin Kaepernick says he's set on NFL return

Colin Kaepernick last played in Week 17 of the 2016 season, but the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback is not ready to give up on an NFL career.

In a post from his Twitter account on Wednesday, Kaepernick wrote: “5am. 5 days a week. For 3 years. Still Ready.”

Kaepernick, 31, shared a corresponding video in which he says he’s been “denied” work for 889 days. He shows off a football-ready physique and appears to be closer to his playing weight – listed by the 49ers at 230lbs – than he was in the middle of last season.

Kaepernick reached an undisclosed settlement with the NFL after filing a lawsuit alleging collusion by NFL teams to keep him out of the league because of his activism, including kneeling during the national anthem before games while playing with the 49ers.

Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid, a teammate of Kaepernick’s with the 49ers, continues to fight with his good friend from the sidelines. Wednesday’s message from Kaepernick was one of the first in his Twitter feed since he offered a word of support to Reid on 30 July.

Kaepernick shared a headline from the Washington Post that Reid will continue to kneel this season to raise awareness of racial inequality, police brutality and social injustice, and wrote: “Unwavering. Unrelenting. Unflinching. Unapologetic. Love you Brother! @E—Reid35.”

Kaepernick completed 59.2% of his passes, averaged 6.8 yards per attempt and threw 16 touchdowns with four interceptions in 12 games for the 49ers in the 2016 campaign, his last in the league. But his refusal to stand for the anthem in the name of his principles became a far bigger story than his on-field performance.

The most recent hint of interest from an NFL team came in April 2018 when he was briefly linked with the Seahawks, but an ESPN report indicated the invitation for a try-out was rescinded when the quarterback would not say whether he planned to consider kneeling.

source: theguardian.com