Colin Kaepernick has been working hard to get back in the NFL and as he waits for a team to take a chance on him, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback is revealing what he’s willing to do to play football again. While speaking on the I AM ATHLETE show, Kaepernick says he will be a backup QB if a team signs him.
“I know I have to find my way back in. So if I have to come in as a backup, that’s fine,” Kaepernick said, per Sports Illustrated. “But that’s not where I’m staying. And when I prove that I’m a starter, I want to be able to step on the field as such. I just need that opportunity to walk through the door.”
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Kaepernick hasn’t been on an NFL field since January 2017. During the 2016 season, Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality, leading to a national debate about standing for the flag. Kaepernick alleged NFL owners colluded against him to keep him out of the league, leading to the league settling the lawsuit out of court. Kaepernick has kept himself busy with multiple projects but football is something that he loves.
“It’s a passion,” Kaepernick said, per Pro Football Talk. “Like, you had those dreams from when you were a kid. I mean, like, I’m gonna be an NFL player, and I’m gonna win a Super Bowl. And for me, I have unfinished business on that front. I’ve been to the Super Bowl. We were one play away. I need to finish that.”
Kaepernick, 34, was selected by the 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft in 2016. In his six seasons with the 49ers, Kaepernick was the starter for all 16 games in 2013 and 2014. In 2012, Kapernick led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance, but the team lost to the Baltimore Ravens.
In the interview, Kaepernick assured everyone that he does want to play football again. “That’s without question,” he said. “To your point, what you saw out here, that’s five years of training behind the scenes, to make sure I’m ready and stay ready at the highest level. You don’t do that if you don’t have a passion, [if] you don’t believe you’re gonna find a way on that field.”
