It looks like veteran San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick might be done with his national anthem protests — now that he’s looking for a new NFL contract.
The controversial player will stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner” next season, according to sources who spoke to ESPN Thursday. Kaepernick first made headlines in August 2016 for refusing to stand during his team’s preseason game against the Green Bay Packers, citing the “oppression” of black people in the United States.
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” he said at the time. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”
According to ESPN, Kaepernick “no longer wants his method of protest to detract from the positive change he believes has been created” — a change that comes one day after the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport revealed that the veteran quarterback has decided to opt out of his 49ers contract and is now a free agent.