Colin Kaepernick Reportedly 'More Motivated to Play Than Ever'

Colin Kaepernick is reportedly still interested in making an NFL comeback.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, "Kaepernick is in great shape, and he wants to play. And he is 'more motivated to play than ever.'"

The question, of course, is whether an NFL team will give him that chance.

Kaepernick, 32, last played in the NFL in the 2016 season for the San Francisco 49ers. He became the center of a national debate that year after he kneeled during the playing of the national anthem before games to protest police brutality and racial injustice. His critics argued that his form of protest was disrespectful to the flag and military.

One critic was Donald Trump, who fiercely criticized Kaepernick on the campaign trail and later challenged NFL owners to fire any player who kneeled during the anthem. When Kaepernick went unsigned following the 2016 season, it led many people to the conclusion that the NFL was blackballing Kaepernick because of his political beliefs.

Kaepernick would ultimately sue the NFL, saying its owners colluded to keep him out of the league, and eventually settled out of court.

In 2019, the NFL was supposed to host a workout for Kaepernick with NFL coaches and scouts in attendance. But after the league and Kaepernick's camp reportedly couldn't agree on the language in the liability waiver, the workout fell apart and Kaepernick held his own, releasing the footage to the media.

No NFL teams followed up with a private workout, and the situation seemed largely reflective of the large divide that had been created by the NFL and Kaepernick.

What lends credence to the argument that Kaepernick was blackballed for his political stance is that he had success as the starting quarterback for the 49ers, and even led the team to a Super Bowl appearance. In his final season he threw for 2,241 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions in 12 games, completing 59.6 percent of his passes.

He also rushed for 468 yards and two scores. Not amazing stats, but certainly good enough production to be signed.

Kaepernick probably isn't a starter-worthy player in the NFL after his long layoff, but it's hard to argue that he isn't a better option than many of the players who served as backups in recent years, such as Nathan Peterman, Matt Schaub, David Blough and Matt Barkley, to name a few. By any objective standard, he's good enough to be an NFL player.

As protests occur around the country and the world for the same causes Kaepernick was championing in his 2016 protests, he's once again moved to the forefront of the national discourse.