Colin Kaepernick Kneeling in Protest Featured on 'Time' Cover

The quest by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to shine a national spotlight on the issues of police violence and racial injustice took another step forward Thursday as Time magazine placed him on the cover of its latest issue.

Time shared a look at the cover, which shows Kaepernick kneeling as he's done during the United States national anthem since the NFL preseason, on its official Twitter account:

Sean Gregory of Time used the cover story to explore the impact the quarterback's decision has made, including a look at football players at all levels and athletes from other sports who have followed his lead over the past month.

Kaepernick has received both praise for taking a public stand about an important issue and criticism for the manner in which he's decided to take that stand. Fellow quarterback Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints told Mike Triplett of ESPN.com he doesn't think refusing to stand for the anthem was the right route.

"I disagree. I wholeheartedly disagree," Brees said. "Not that he wants to speak out about a very important issue. No, he can speak out about a very important issue. But there's plenty of other ways that you can do that in a peaceful manner that doesn't involve being disrespectful to the American flag."

The situation has led to a stark racial divide concerning the country's view of the 49ers QB.

Darren Rovell of ESPN.com reported Wednesday a poll of 1,100 people by E-Poll Marketing Research showed Kaepernick was voted the "most disliked player in the NFL." Yet further details show 37 percent of Caucasian respondents disliked him "a lot," while only 2 percent of African-Americans surveyed felt the same way.

The 28-year-old Wisconsin native stated Tuesday he's received a few death threats since beginning his protest, but he's "not too concerned about it," per Cam Inman of the Mercury News.

Kaepernick explained to Steve Wyche of NFL.com in August that he understood the potential backlash, but that wasn't going to prevent him from moving forward.

"This is not something that I am going to run by anybody," he said. "I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. ... If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right."

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reported Kaepernick is also preparing to follow through with a $1 million pledge to community organizations. He announced plans Tuesday to donate $100,000 per month for 10 months, and he's creating a website to allow the public to track the funds.