Colin Kaepernick is an American civil rights activist and football quarterback who played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL) . In 2016, he knelt during the national anthem at the start of NFL games in protest of police brutality and racial inequality in the United States. In October 2017, Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL, accusing league owners of collusion to keep him out of the league. He withdrew the grievance in February 2019 after reaching a confidential settlement with the NFL. His protests received renewed attention in 2020 amid the George Floyd protests against police brutality and racism, but he remains unsigned by any professional football team. Kaepernick is also an author and activist who runs a publishing company and a nonprofit organization called "The Colin Kaepernick Foundation," which aims to empower Black and Brown youth. Despite his efforts to return to the NFL, he has not played professionally since the 49ers’ final game of the 2016 season.