Colin Kaepernick Accused the NFL of Running a Slave Auction, Now He Wants to Rejoin the League

In a move of extreme hypocrisy, former NFL quarterback and anthem-kneeler Colin Kaepernick, who has not played in the NFL since 2016, the same year he began kneeling, seems to be imploring the NFL to let him back into the league less than six months after likening the NFL combine to a mid-1800’s slave auction.

If the NFL is such an abusive and dangerous place for a black man, so as to be likened to a slave auction, then why is Kaepernick trying to get back in?

“I can help make you a better team. … I can help you win games,” Kaepernick responded when asked what he would say to a potential team during Michigan’s Maize & Blue Spring Game on Saturday, where the former 49er threw for NFL scouts during halftime. Kaepernick said:

I can help you win games. I know right now the situation likely won’t allow me to come in and step into a starting role. I know I’ll be able to work my way to that though and show that very quickly. To the teams that have questions, more than anything I’d say I’d love to come in for a workout, I’d love to sit down with you and have that conversation about how I can help you be a better team.

I spoke with Colin Kaepernick on the sideline after his throwing exhibition at Michigan.

He said he can absolutely still play in the NFL. I asked what is your message to NFL teams: "I can help make you a better team. I can help you win games." pic.twitter.com/rUQTG562D7

— Jeanna Trotman (@JeannaTrotmanTV) April 2, 2022

Here is the video from the series Colin In Black & White, where players at the NFL “combine” enter a mid-1800s slave auction as white landowners examine slaves for purchase. The scene ends with the NFL “coach” and slave auctioneer shaking hands:

Colin Kaepernick compares the NFL combine, which allows all players of all races a voluntary chance to become multi-millionaires, to slavery. Anyone still defending this imbecile lacks a functional brain. pic.twitter.com/rMaKi7c6xh

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) October 30, 2021

In the video, released in 2021 by Netflix and billed as Kaepernick “recounting his formative years navigating race, class and culture while aspiring for greatness,” the former quarterback likens the treatment of players to slaves, saying NFL prospects are “poked, prodded, and examined” for defects before the NFL Draft, and claims this is how “they” establish a “power dynamic” as the coach shakes the slave trader’s hand.

Yet, in recent months, Kaepernick has been auditioning to rejoin the “power dynamic.” Whether he is trying to impress scouts watching him during halftime at Michigan State’s Maize & Blue Spring Game, or throwing drills with Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett, as he did in March, Kaepernick seems to be doing whatever he needs to do to get back into the same league he likens to slave traders.

Kaep is throwing on his IG live pic.twitter.com/60yMeMzc0v

— Jason Aponte (@JasonAponte2103) March 14, 2022

The 33-year-old Kaepernick has damaged the NFL’s ratings with his anthem protests and claims of racism, all while cashing in on his self-created controversies with a net worth of approximately $20 million and endorsements from companies such as Beats By Dre headphones, McDonald’s, Jaguar, Electronic Arts, and MusclePharm, according to Sportskeeda. Nike famously used Kaepernick for the 30th anniversary of their “Just Do It” campaign in 2018, and continued their relationship with the former quarterback through a successful 2019 sale of Kaepernick’s jersey and Kaepernick’s role in the cancelation of Nike’s “Betsy Ross flag” sneaker that same year.

Kaepernick released his first children’s book this week, titled I Color Myself Different. Amazon describes the book as:

A joyful ode to Black and Brown lives based on real events in young Colin’s life that is perfect for every reader’s bookshelf. It’s a story of self-discovery, staying true to one’s self, and advocating for change… even when you’re very little!

One thing continues to hang over all of Colin Kaepernick's various undertakings: will he ever play in the NFL again? @mikefreemanNFL has more. https://t.co/Na3Rsp859l

— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) April 6, 2022

The quarterback’s NFL future is uncertain, with USA Today pondering, “Colin Kaepernick continues coloring outside the lines, but is NFL career over?” and the Washington Post explaining that “Colin Kaepernick is bigger than football. It’s time for him to stop looking back.”

Perspective: As with a snug varsity letterman’s jacket from his youth, he has outgrown the game. https://t.co/tNekjD61Oo

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 5, 2022

The civil rights activist has his supporters, and a leftist media that will always kneel with him. USA Today followed up their contemplative headline by claiming the NFL has “blackballed” Kaepernick, saying the former quarterback “being out of the league despite showing that he still has the skill to play isn’t about anything other than the NFL still wanting to make him pay a price for peacefully protesting.”