Former 49er Colin Kaepernick Tweet -- 'Denied Work For 889 Days'
SANTA CLARA (CBS SF) -- Former San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick has not given up on his dream to play in the NFL again, taking to social media Wednesday with a video of a grueling workout as he maintains his conditioning, awaiting a call from a team in need of a quarterback.
With most teams well into their second week of training camp, Kaepernick is facing the stark possibility he will not get a chance to return to the league this year. He opted out of a 49ers contract in 2017, choosing to become a free agent.
On the Twitter and Instagram posting, Wednesday's video starts with a counter saying he has been "denied work for 889 days."
5am. 5 days a week. For 3 years. Still Ready. pic.twitter.com/AGczejA1rM
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) August 7, 2019
Kaepernick and former San Francisco 49ers teammate Eric Reid settled their collusion case against the NFL earlier this year. In filing the case, the two claimed they were blacklisted by the league owners because of protests during the national anthem at games.
While terms of the settlement remain sealed, the Wall Street Journal reported at the time it was for less than $10 million total.
Kaepernick has not played in the league since 2016, while Reid missed three games last season before signing with Carolina.
The former 49ers starting quarterback ignited a heated national debate over sports and politics when he began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016 to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
Several other players around the league and athletes in other sports including U.S. women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe followed suit. The then NBA champion Golden State Warriors also lent their support.
But Kaepernick's protest drew the ire of conservatives and President Donald Trump, who urged the league to suspend or fire players who demonstrate during "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Kaepernick claims it also cost him his NFL career.
At the time of the settlement in February, the NFLPA said it hoped Kaepernick would get another chance to play in the league.
"We continuously supported Colin and Eric from the start of their protests, participated with their lawyers throughout their legal proceedings and were prepared to participate in the upcoming trial in pursuit of both truth and justice for what we believe the NFL and its clubs did to them," the NFLPA said in statement. "We are glad that Eric has earned a job and a new contract, we continue to hope that Colin gets his opportunity as well."
And if his critics thought Kaepernick would go away quietly after reaching the settlement, they have misjudged his commitment.
Nike cancelled plans to sell a sneaker in July that featured the "Betsy Ross" version of the American flag from the late 18th century.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that the athletic-wear company delivered the sneakers to retailers, but asked stores to return them to Nike after the company received a complaint from Kaepernick. The Journal indicated Kaepernick said he and others found the shoe offensive because of its ties to America's era of era of slavery.