At an NFL preseason game on August 26, 2016, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick remains seated as other players stand to observe the national anthem. This simple action, which Kaepernick makes no attempt to broadcast to the public, gives rise to a controversy that will bring to light the racial tensions within American sports, determine the fate of Kaepernick’s football career, and reverberate across the sporting world for years to come.

source: internet

Despite having significantly better credentials than many other free agent quarterbacks, Kaepernick was not offered another NFL contract. For several years, he continued to train as if he were in the league while attempting to find a new team, eventually filing a grievance alleging that the league’s owners—many of whom were vocally opposed to the protests he began—had blackballed him.

2016 NFL San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneels in protest during the US national anthem before pre-season game against the Chargers at San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium, objecting to racial injustice and police brutality in the US

Source: history.com