At 38, Colin Kaepernick Says He's Still Up at 4:30am, Still Ready
Colin Kaepernick says he is still ready for the NFL almost 10 years after his last top-flight snap. The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, 38, told The Guardian in an interview published Sept. 26, 2026 that he stays game-ready and focused on being prepared if an opportunity to return comes.
He never stopped. Kaepernick said he still gets up at 4:30am every morning to train, doing strength, speed and position training just as he did while playing. The position work means quarterback-specific drills for throwing, footwork and reading defenses. The Guardian
Kaepernick last played top-flight football almost a decade ago, according to that September 2026 interview. In late 2016, he repeatedly refused to stand for the pre-match national anthem. He said at the time he believed the United States oppresses African Americans, and the protest became taking a knee during the anthem to protest police brutality. NPR
The kneel itself was a compromise. Nate Boyer, a Green Beret who stood beside Kaepernick, said Kaepernick and Reid decided that taking a knee was the perfect solution after speaking with him. The idea was to protest while showing respect to military service.
The protest drew a sharp response from Donald Trump. Trump repeatedly condemned Kaepernick during the election campaign and continued that criticism as president, including mocking him at a 2017 rally. In an August 2016 radio interview, Trump said Kaepernick should find a country that works better for him, though in August 2019 he said Kaepernick should be employed by an NFL team. Kaepernick answered one Trump statement with the line, “Let’s make America great for the first time.”
Kaepernick is now telling his side in a new memoir, The Perilous Fight, covering his upbringing, sporting career and the events around his 2016 protest. In the book, he explains why he still wants to play football. He also gave an exclusive interview to NBC News discussing the NFL, racism, politics and the 10 years since he took a knee. NBC News
For fans, this means the wait is the story. At 38 and nearly 10 seasons removed, Kaepernick is far past the normal age curve for a mobile quarterback. He says the alarm still rings anyway.
