# Colin Kaepernick on Threats, NFL Exile, and Jay-Z Lyric

> Kaepernick's 2016 anthem protest led to NFL exile, but he remains committed to racial justice despite threats and legal battles.
- Title: Colin Kaepernick on Threats, NFL Exile, and Jay-Z Lyric · TIME
- Summary: Kaepernick's 2016 anthem protest led to NFL exile, but he remains committed to racial justice despite threats and legal battles. Kaepernick's protest against…
- Keywords: colin kapernick, nfl, seahawks, seattle, jim harbaugh, jay-z, rocnation, police reform, black lives matter, national anthem, protest, racial justice
- Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/09/17/colin-kaepernick-memoir-interview
- Author: Sean Gregory
- Published: 2026-09-17T19:45:36+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: colin kapernick, nfl, seahawks, seattle, jim harbaugh, jay-z, rocnation, police reform, black lives matter, national anthem, protest, racial justice
## The protest began
Kaepernick sat during the national anthem in 2016 after a string of police killings of Black men.
## Spontaneous action
He didn't plan the protest; it happened when he realized the anthem didn't align with his values.

> I hadn't given the anthem a second's thought before I walked out onto the field that day, but it hit me in that moment that I should find a seat.
## Historical parallels
Kaepernick compared his protest to Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, and Tommie Smith and John Carlos.

> Rosa Parks had refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white person in 1955. Muhammad Ali wouldn't step forward when his name was called by the draft board for the Vietnam War in Louisville in 1967.
## NFL exile
Kaepernick hasn't played in the NFL since 2016, after the league blackballed him for protesting.
## Legal battles
He settled a collusion lawsuit with the NFL in 2019 with former teammate Eric Reid.
## Threats and safety
Kaepernick received threats from the president, senators, and online, leading him to stay with a manager for safety.

> You get attacked from the President of the United States. You're getting attacked from senators. You have people trying to send bombs to your home.
## Jay-Z's lyric
Jay-Z referenced Kaepernick in a 2024 rap, saying he signed a non-disparagement agreement with the NFL.

> Buddy took a check, I ain't even mad at him, but along with that check you gotta sign a non-disparagement.
## NFL's response
The NFL gave $450 million to community groups but Kaepernick sees it as a PR move, not real change.

> I view that as a PR play. There was a player-owners meeting where they said, 'You need to tell your compadres to stop that other business.'
## Racial justice
Kaepernick argues that law enforcement has always been an enemy of Black people, a view he still holds today.

> I told my teammates how law enforcement in this country has always been an enemy of Black people.
## Family perspective
Kaepernick's parents adopted him as a child but struggled to understand his racial experiences.

> I had to navigate the realities that you face when you are Black in predominantly white spaces.
## Future plans
Kaepernick remains committed to racial justice and community advocacy despite his NFL exile.

> We can be phenomenal at our profession. We also can advocate for our community and a better society.
## The protest's impact
Kaepernick's protest inspired athletes globally to speak out on racial justice and police reform.

> We're seeing it to this day throughout Europe. People saying, 'Oh, this actually opened the door for me to be able to do the work in a way I previously wasn't able to.'
## NFL's racial policies
The NFL has faced criticism for racial bias, including past efforts to deny medical benefits to Black players.

> The NFL just went through navigating race-norming, where they were assessing that the baseline intelligence or cognitive abilities of Black players was lower than white players.
## Community focus
Kaepernick emphasizes investing in communities over policing to address systemic racism.

> When you invest in communities, they get safer. People do better. Crime rates drop.
## Jay-Z's role
Jay-Z's partnership with the NFL in 2019 and his recent lyric highlight tensions over protest support.

> The fact that seven years after him cutting a deal to undermine the protest, unprompted, he brings me up, sounds like a guilty conscience to me.
## The future
Kaepernick aims to continue advocating for racial justice while navigating his family and career.

> My daughter found it, and she grabbed it and was like, 'Oh, this is going to my room.'
## Key takeaway

Kaepernick's protest against systemic racism in policing has been a catalyst for ongoing movements, even as he faces continued challenges from the NFL and society.