Colin Kaepernick may remain in NFL shape, but that does not mean the polarizing former quarterback is watching games each week.
In fact, he revealed during an appearance at the WSJ Tech Live Conference in California this week that he has not watched an NFL game in eight years.
Instead, the quarterback-turned-activist who has not appeared in an NFL game since the 2016 season says that he checks the stats of some players. He also said he watches college football.
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Colin Kaepernick, #7 of the San Francisco 49ers, looks on during an NFL game against the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 27, 2016 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Ron Elkman/Sports Imagery/Getty Images)
“I still check everybody’s stats,” Kaepernick told the Wall Street Journal’s Andrew Beaton during the conference, per Page Six. “It also informs who my agent reaches out to, but I still check the stats. I see what’s going on. I don’t ever turn a game on though, because I’m not gonna support in that way, but I need to keep my finger on the pulse of what’s happening with quarterbacks out there.”
Kaepernick, 36, recently made an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” where he not only debunked coaching rumors with the Los Angeles Chargers’ new head coach Jim Harbaugh, who used to be his coach with the San Francisco 49ers, but also said his workouts to remain ready for his next quarterback opportunity are still happening.
“I still wake up every morning and train,” he explained. “I’ve had to adjust my schedule a little bit, which saying this out loud sounds a little bizarre, but I get up at 3:30 a.m. and I start my workday, and then I go do my training… I still train every day, I still train the way I was when I was playing, making sure that I’m ready at any given moment.”
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Kaepernick, who infamously created a firestorm by kneeling for the national anthem in games later in his career, last played in an NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks on Jan. 1, 2017. He has had a few workouts with teams since then, but he has yet to join an NFL roster since.
While waiting for his next opportunity, Kaepernick built up his social activist platform through Know Your Rights Camp and his Kaepernick Publishing. Through those platforms, Kaepernick made headlines by comparing the NFL Draft to a slave auction, calling for the abolition of law enforcement and suggesting the NFL has not taken meaningful steps to address social injustices.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, #7, celebrates a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers during the third quarter of the 2013 NFC divisional playoff football game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Jan 12, 2014. (Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports)
Kaepernick also settled a 2019 grievance against the NFL, when he alleged team owners were colluding to keep him out of the league.
Kaepernick told Sky Sports earlier this year that he still believes he can help a team reach the Super Bowl.
“It’s something I’ve trained my whole life for, so to be able to step back on the field, I think that would be a major moment, a major accomplishment for me. I think I could bring a lot to a team and help them win a championship,” he said in August.
While saying he does not want to coach, Kaepernick has reportedly expressed interest in playing for the United States in flag football during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Kaepernick was the starting quarterback for the 49ers during Super Bowl XLVII but would fall to the Baltimore Ravens, 34-31, on Feb. 3, 2013. He went 16-for-28 for 302 yards with one touchdown and one interception, while rushing for a touchdown and 62 yards.
Colin Kaepernick speaks onstage during The Gordon Parks Foundation’s Annual Awards Dinner And Auction Celebrating The Arts & Social Justice at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 21, 2024 in New York City. (Noam Galai/Getty Images for The Gordon Parks Foundation)
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Kaepernick has totaled 12,271 passing yards with 72 passing touchdowns over his career, while rushing for 2,300 yards with 13 touchdowns on the ground as well.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
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