San Francisco, CA – December 10, 2025 Exactly nine years after Colin Kaepernick first took a knee, the exiled quarterback broke his silence in a raw ABC News interview: “Absolutely worth it.” The Colin Kaepernick reflection, dropped on the exact anniversary of his 2016 protest against racial injustice, lands like a Molotov cocktail in the middle of Donald Trump’s second term, where White House UFC fights and “America First” sports policy are the new normal.
With #Kaepernick trending worldwide and searches for Kaepernick spiking 400% overnight, the man who hasn’t played an NFL snap since 2016 just reminded everyone the fire never went out.
Colin Kaepernick Drops Bombshell on 9-Year Anniversary: “Absolutely Worth It” – NFL Protest Revival Ignites in Trump 2.0 Era
In the sit-down, Kaepernick didn’t flinch: “I knew the consequences when I took that knee. I knew I might never play again. But staying silent wasn’t an option when Black people were being killed and nothing was changing.” He doubled down on the flag critique that once made half the country lose its mind: “I’m not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color. That was never anti-military. That was anti-oppression.”
Nine years later, Kaepernick says the sacrifice was worth every death threat, every jersey burning, every lost endorsement: “Thinking about whether or not it’s worth it: if even one life was saved, one life was advanced, it’ll be absolutely worth it every day of the week,” Kaepernick said, describing his commitment to social justice. “We forced a conversation this country didn’t want to have.”
Trump 2.0 vs. Kaepernick 2.0: The Rematch Nobody Asked For
The timing is nuclear. Trump is back, planning UFC on the White House lawn and tweeting about “disrespectful” athletes again. Meanwhile, Kaepernick just launched an AI literacy program with Prince George’s County schools and is quietly training daily — still ready at 38.
X is on fire:
- “Colin Kaepernick said kneel louder in 2025” – 180K likes
- “Trump vs Kaepernick round 2 loading…” – trending #3 U.S.
- “Give Colin Kaepernick his job back or we riot (again)” – 92K retweets
Will NFL Players Kneel Again? Colin Kaepernick Legacy Lives
Rookies are listening. Browns QB Shedeur Sanders liked the ABC clip. Myles Garrett quote-tweeted “Still worth it.” Even Jim Harbaugh, now with the Chargers, was asked today: “Colin Kaepernick changed the world with that knee. Full stop.”
The question burning up timelines: Super Bowl 60 in New Orleans – will someone take a knee on the biggest stage since 2020?
Colin Kaepernick didn’t start the fire. But nine years later, he just poured gasoline on it.
References
- TheGrio. “Almost 10 years later, Colin Kaepernick says taking a knee in the NFL was ‘absolutely worth it’.” Dec. 10, 2025. Link
- ABC News. “‘Absolutely worth it’: Colin Kaepernick reflects on taking a knee, talks AI student program.” Dec. 9, 2025. Link
- The Black Wall Street Times. “Colin Kaepernick says taking a knee was ‘absolutely worth it’.” Dec. 10, 2025. Link
- History.com. “Quarterback Colin Kaepernick sits during national anthem | August 26, 2016.” May 27, 2025. Link
- Britannica. “Colin Kaepernick | Biography, Taking the Knee, Activism, Stats, & Facts.” July 12, 2021. Link
- ACLU. “Colin Kaepernick Stood Up for Justice by Kneeling During the National Anthem.” Feb. 27, 2023. Link
- Wikipedia. “Colin Kaepernick.” Dec. 2, 2025. Link
- NBC Sports Bay Area. “Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling protest still misunderstood five years later.” Sep. 1, 2021. Link
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