Did Colin Kaepernick retire from NFL?

Colin Kaepernick is back at the forefront of the NFL news cycle because of his new show on Netflix, Colin in Black and White. The mere mention of his name may have some wondering if he is retired from the NFL.

The answer to that is no. He is not. Kaepernick has not played in the league since 2016 but hasn't filed retirement papers. Doing so would end any hope of a comeback to the league he once dominated.

Will Colin Kaepernick return to the NFL?

This is a question only NFL owners can answer. Kaepernick has been a free agent since the 2016 season and teams have shown little interest in signing the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback. The NFL did schedule a workout for him in 2019, but it only became a distraction.

Kaepernick, who was the first to kneel during the national anthem, is the only player who has failed to find a job in the NFL after the protests. Others that followed suit are still playing in the league. At this point, Kaepernick is almost on a different level in terms of his activism.

By waiting years, NFL owners have essentially come up with the best excuse to avoid signing Kaepernick. He is now 34 years old and was last a regular full-time starter in 2014. That alone is a built-in excuse not to consider him.

So what does his playing future hold? It's just tough to see him getting another shot at his current age. That is not right, but it appears to be the reality of the situation. If a team was going to sign him, it would have happened by now. It would have happened several years ago.

Kaepernick has become a prominent activist and no one can stop him from doing that and making a difference. He can continue to push for societal change without needing a job on an NFL team to do so.

Ultimately, it is unfortunate to see such a great talent be prevented from playing in the NFL. Kaepernick was a rising star and nearly led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl title. His career ended on a bad note and a second chance does not appear likely.

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