It has been a decade since Colin Kaepernick first took a knee during the national anthem before a preseason game against the San Diego Chargers to protest racial injustice and police brutality when he was still a San Francisco 49ers player. Along with his peaceful protest, Kaepernick also donated millions of dollars to grassroots community organizations operating in underserved neighborhoods. And yet, he still didn’t get enough support from fellow players and faced an alleged exile after the 2026 season.

As the echoes of his protest remain a living topic in the community, former 49ers WR Terrell Owens has shared his two cents on the Get To The Point Podcast about the lack of support Colin Kaepernick dealt with.

“He was embarking on a territory we weren’t ready for. And then if you think about it, and I say that now, look how many players and platforms that have been formed because of him. Standing up for what he believed in, and understand, like now a lot of players, they feel like they were voiceless then because a lot of players, they wanted to say and back him up.

“But they were scared that they was going to lose their job. So many guys, I think, now feel motivated, inspired by what he did.”

In 2016, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback first sat on the bench during the first preseason game against the Houston Texans while the U.S. National Anthem played. In his own words, this was the former QB’s method of protesting against the alleged police brutality/racism towards the Black community.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. 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 m*rder.”

But during the final preseason game against the San Diego Chargers, Kaepernick changed his approach and took a knee to show respect for military personnel while maintaining his stance. The silent protest continued till the Week 17 game against the Seattle Seahawks on January 1, 2017.

A few NFL players also joined and supported Colin Kaepernick, starting with his 49ers teammate Eric Reid, followed by Brandon Marshall (Denver Broncos). However, according to Terrell Owens, players were even scared to join the former QB’s peaceful protest.

For context, Marshall is a big example amongst the players who faced intense scrutiny and backlash for supporting Kaepernick. The Broncos linebacker lost major endorsement deals with corporations like CenturyLink and Air Academy Federal Credit Union.

“I just lost another endorsement,” Marshall said in 2016. “But it’s not going to make me lose any sleep… I understand there will be things that come up, criticism and support. I just have to do what I think is right.”

In Colin Kaepernick’s case, when the San Francisco 49ers planned to release him after the 2016 season, he opted out of his contract and instead became a free agent. Despite racking up 12,271 yards in 69 regular-season games, Kaepernick never played another NFL game.

Kaepernick believes he was blackballed by the league for his protest. However, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell shut down the allegations by adding, “It’s certainly something that I could do, but it’s not something I’ve thought about.”

A decade after his protests, Colin Kaepernick will also release his memoir, The Perilous Fight, on September 15, in which more inside details about his 2016 protest and football career will be made public.