In , he knelt during the national anthem at the start of NFL games in protest of police brutality and racial inequality in the United States.
After graduating, he was selected by the 49ers in the second round of the NFL draft. Kaepernick began his professional football career as a backup quarterback to Alex Smith , and became the 49ers' starter in the middle of the season after Smith suffered a concussion. He then remained the team's starting quarterback for the rest of the season, leading the team to their first Super Bowl appearance since During the season , his first full season as a starter, Kaepernick helped the 49ers reach the NFC Championship Game.
Over the next three seasons, Kaepernick lost and won back his starting quarterback job, with the 49ers missing the playoffs for three seasons. In the 49ers' third preseason game in , Kaepernick sat during the playing of the U.
The protests received highly polarized reactions, with some praising his protests and others denouncing the protests. The actions resulted in a wider protest movement, which intensified in September after President Donald Trump said that NFL owners should "fire" players who protest during the national anthem. In August , arbitrator Stephen B. Burbank rejected the NFL's request to dismiss the case.
His protests received renewed attention in amid the George Floyd protests against police brutality and racism, but he remains unsigned by any professional football team.
