It has been a decade. Think about that for a second. Ten years since a backup quarterback in Santa Clara decided to sit, then kneel, during a pre-season song. At the time, plenty of people figured it was a flash in the pan—a mid-level starter making a noise before fading into the "where are they now" files of NFL history.
But they were wrong. Honestly, the Colin Kaepernick story has become less about football and more about a weird, shifting cultural mirror. You've got people who see him as a martyr for civil rights and others who still won't buy a Nike shoe because of him. Meanwhile, the man himself has basically pivoted into a tech founder and a media mogul while most of us were still arguing about his 2016 completion percentage.
He’s 38 now. In the NFL, that’s usually the "twilight" years. For Kaepernick, it’s a whole different chapter.
What Really Happened With the NFL Settlement?
One of the biggest misconceptions that still floats around message boards is that Kaepernick "got rich" off his collusion lawsuit against the league. People talk about $60 million or $100 million like it's a confirmed fact. It isn't.
In reality, while the details are locked behind a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), reporting from The Wall Street Journal suggested the payout for both Kaepernick and Eric Reid was likely under $10 million. After legal fees? That’s not exactly "set for life" money for an elite athlete, though it was a massive symbolic win. The lawsuit alleged that NFL owners actively conspired to keep him off the field. Whether you believe that or not, the league chose to pay to make the problem go away rather than let it hit a discovery phase in court.
The 2022 Raiders Workout: The Last Gasp?
For years, the "will he, won't he" return to the NFL was a seasonal tradition. It peaked in May 2022 when the Las Vegas Raiders actually brought him in for a workout. It was the first time an NFL team had given him a real look since he opted out of his 49ers contract.
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Reports were... let's say, mixed.
- The Positive: Mark Hallenbeck (his agent) and some team sources said his arm strength was still elite.
- The Negative: Former Raider Warren Sapp went on a tear, calling the workout a "disaster."
Ultimately, the Raiders passed. They stuck with Derek Carr and a room of backups who were "safer" bets for the locker room. Since then, the talk of a comeback has cooled significantly, replaced by something much more interesting: Silicon Valley.
Why Colin Kaepernick is Betting Big on AI
If you haven't been paying attention to the business section, you might have missed Lumi. Launched in mid-2024, Lumi is Kaepernick’s AI storytelling platform. It’s not just some celebrity vanity project; he raised $4 million in seed funding led by Alexis Ohanian’s Seven Seven Six.
The goal? Basically to let people create their own comic books and graphic novels using generative AI.
It’s a pivot that makes sense if you look at his history with "gatekeepers." He felt the NFL gatekept his career, so he built a tool to help creators bypass traditional publishers. By 2025 and 2026, he’s been taking this tech into schools—specifically partnering with districts in Portland and Prince George’s County to push AI literacy. It's a far cry from the "read-option" offense he ran under Jim Harbaugh, but the mission of "empowerment" is the through-line.
The Know Your Rights Camp Impact
While the headlines focus on his business or his beef with the league, the Know Your Rights Camp (KYRC) is where the actual legwork happens. This isn't just a weekend football camp. It's a legal and educational offensive.
By late 2025, the camp had completed its 16th major event, recently returning to Oakland. They’ve expanded into a Legal Defense Initiative that provides resources for victims of police brutality and a COVID-19 relief fund that was massive during the pandemic.
People forget that Kaepernick actually put his money where his mouth was early on. He finished his "Million Dollar Pledge" back in 2018, donating $100k a month to various grassroots organizations. That's a level of consistency you don't always see with "celebrity activism."
What Most People Get Wrong About 2016
There’s this narrative that Kaepernick was "washed" before he started kneeling. Let's look at the actual numbers from his final season:
- 16 touchdowns
- 4 interceptions
- A passer rating of 90.7
Those aren't MVP numbers, but they’re better than half the starters in the league right now. He wasn't playing on a great team—the 2016 49ers were a bit of a train wreck—but the idea that he couldn't play is a revisionist history. The "distraction" factor was what killed his career, not a lack of arm strength.
The Legacy Beyond the Turf
Kaepernick is a polarizing figure, and he likely always will be. But his influence is undeniable. He’s the reason we see social justice slogans in end zones today. He’s the reason "player empowerment" became a buzzword.
Whether he ever takes another snap (unlikely at this point) doesn't really matter. He’s moved into a space where he’s more of an institution than an athlete. Between his Netflix series Colin in Black & White and his publishing house, he’s focused on controlling the narrative—something he couldn't do when he was wearing a helmet.
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Your Next Steps to Understand the Movement
If you're looking to dive deeper into the actual work being done rather than the Twitter arguments, here is where to look:
- Check the KYRC curriculum: If you're a teacher or parent, their "10 Points" are a solid framework for teaching civil rights and self-advocacy.
- Explore Lumi: See how AI is being used in the creator economy. It’s a glimpse into how "cancelled" figures can build their own platforms.
- Review the 2016 game film: If you're a football nerd, go back and watch his games against the Dolphins or Jets from that year. It’s a good reminder of the talent that was sidelined.
The conversation about Colin Kaepernick isn't going away. It's just evolving from the sidelines of a football field to the classrooms and boardrooms of the future.