Colin Kaepernick Still Training for NFL Comeback, But the Ball’s in the Owners’ Court

Colin Kaepernick may have last suited up for an NFL game back on January 1, 2017, but the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback isn’t ready to close the playbook just yet. According to his longtime girlfriend Nessa Diab, Kaepernick is still chasing that on-field comeback, training intensely every single day in hopes of another shot at the league.

When asked recently about his NFL aspirations, Diab said, "All day, every day. Nothing’s changed." She made it clear that Kaepernick’s desire to play is unwavering—now it’s just a matter of whether any NFL team will actually let him suit up again.

Kaepernick, now 37, last played for the 49ers in the 2016 season, logging a respectable 215 passing yards and a touchdown in his final game against the Seattle Seahawks. Despite his stats and experience, teams have consistently passed on bringing him back, even for training camps. The quarterback, of course, is just as famous for his activism—his 2016 protest kneeling during the national anthem ignited national debates on racial injustice and police brutality.

Since leaving the league, Kaepernick has devoted himself to social activism through the Know Your Rights Camp and his own publishing house. He’s called out the NFL’s handling of race issues, even going as far as to compare the draft process to a slave auction, and voiced calls for the abolition of law enforcement. That’s one way to guarantee your off-field legacy makes headlines, even if your on-field dreams are on pause.

Speaking to NPR last year, Kaepernick admitted he misses football deeply, saying, "I will forever miss it. And I continue to train for it." He insisted he’d never want to look back and wonder if he could have pushed harder. It’s not for lack of effort, as he’s determined any absence from the field won’t be blamed on his work ethic.

In another interview, Kaepernick told Sky Sports he still believes he has what it takes to lead a team to the Super Bowl, saying, "We're still training, still pushing. So hopefully. We've just got to get one of these team owners to open up." For Kaepernick, another NFL snap would be a major personal victory—and he believes he could help a team win big.

The question now: Will any NFL owner take that leap of faith, or is Kaepernick destined to be football’s most famous free agent forever? Stay tuned—because if persistence ever scored touchdowns, he’d already have a ring.