Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Former 49ers Quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s NFL Return Dream Still Alive and Kicking Despite 8 Years Hiatus

Colin Kaepernick ready for the NFL - but will he get a second chance?

Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

37-year-old quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, last played in the NFL in the 2016 season. The latest update regarding the former 49ers’ signal caller has been provided by his girlfriend, Nessa Diab, who is a radio and TV host. Diab told TMZ when they approached her that Kaepernick has been training hard every day, in case he gets a second chance at a return to the NFL. As per Diab herself, Kaepernick has been training:

“All day, every day! Nothing has changed! Nothing!”

Colin Kaepernick Still Training For NFL Return, Says GF Nessa Diab | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/namRcpEnUa
— TMZ (@TMZ) April 20, 2025

Kaepernick, who was drafted in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft by San Francisco, played all 6 seasons of his career with the 49ers before opting out of his contract to become a free agent in 2017. The 49ers had decided to go in a different direction from the 2017 season onwards after they hired Kyle Shanahan as their new head coach with the idea of releasing Kaepernick.

However, becoming a free agent is not the true reason why Kaepernick has not stepped foot on the field again. So what happened with the Milwaukee native that led to his departure from the league despite being just 29 years old at the time?

Also Read: Will Howard Draft Projection- Where will the Buckeyes Quarterback Land?

Why Has Kaepernick Not Played in the League Since 2016?

Kaepernick, who is a staunch advocate against racial discrimination in the United States, garnered quite the attention during a preseason game in the 2016 season when he remained seated on the bench while the National Anthem was being played as a protest against police brutality and racial inequality.

Kaepernick followed this by kneeling in every game of the 2016 season as opposed to standing up as he continued his protest, although the situation was getting out of hand, since many felt his behavior was disrespectful. Following the 2016 season, when he became a free agent, Kaepernick remained unsigned throughout the 2017 offseason, which led to allegations that he was being purposely overlooked due to his actions from the previous season.

Since then, the former 49er received interest only from the Seattle Seahawks and Las Vegas Raiders; however, nothing materialized to the point that he could make his return to the league. Last season, in 2024, there was a ray of hope for Kaepernick who was offered a coaching job with the Los Angeles Chargers; however, since the offer was not for a playing position, Kaepernick declined it.

Whether or not the former quarterback ever gets a chance to lace up for an NFL franchise remains to be seen. And although the chances of that happening are slim, the fact that Kaepernick has not given up on his dream and continues to work toward achieving his goal is remarkable given that all hope seems to be lost at this point in time.

Colin Kaepernick

NFL

Devavrat Kulkarni

nfl

I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!