"Legend on and off the field" - LeBron James showers praise on former 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick 

LeBron James has never been shy about his admiration for Colin Kaepernick, and even with the quarterback away from the league since 2017, this admiration remains of today.

Kaepernick always had a lot of success playing against the Green Bay Packers, and after the San Francisco 49ers failed to beat the Packers on Sunday Night Football, James shared on Twitter what he thought of Kaepernick as a legend both on and off the field.

James is a very active player regarding social issues, so it's no surprise to see his support of Colin Kaepernick's actions. The Los Angeles Lakers legend, who won four NBA championships during his career, has been vocal about how the NFL failed Kaepernick and owes him an apology.

When the Lakers refused to play a playoff game during the NBA playoff bubble in the 2019-20 season after the shooting of 29-year old Jacob Blake, Kaepernick and James shared strong messages about their fight for social justice.

Why has Colin Kaepernick been away from the NFL for so long?

Colin Kaepernick took the league by storm in 2012, when he became the 49ers' starter following Alex Smith's concussion during a regular-season game.

With Kaepernick's rushing ability and his strong arm, Jim Harbaugh decided that even when Smith was back fit, he was going to stick with the newcomer, leading the team to the NFC title that year and another NFC Championship appearance the following year.

Super Bowl XLVII - Baltimore Ravens v San Francisco 49ers

Kaepernick's ability was never in question. Even though he wasn't a real fit for Kyle Shanahan's offense when the coach arrived in San Francisco, it's clear that the quarterback had more than enough quality to be signed by a team - any team, really.

His playing style was never the reason for him being out of a job since 2017. Kaepernick took a knee during the U.S. national anthem before every game during the '16 season to protest police brutality in the country, especially against black people, and the backlash against him was extreme.

Donald Trump, then the U.S. president, went as far as to say that the NFL should fire anyone who took a knee during the anthem. Even though Kaepernick's message has resounded in recent years after a series of racist episodes in America, he has remained unsigned since 2017.

He may not be the star who'll lead his team to the Super Bowl, but to say there's 64 quarterbacks better than him in the NFL is a little outrageous. Playing ability is not the reason Kaepernick finds himself out of the NFL.

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