The NFL recently redesigned its website. And the new version of the pages assigned to each current and historical player has created a bit of a stir: Former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is listed as “retired.”
Kaepernick’s girlfriend, Nessa, has reacted strongly to the characterization.
“The @NFL @nflcommish @NFLPA lying on their website claiming @Kaepernick7 ‘retired,'” she said on Twitter. “Colin did NOT retire. You cowards blackballed him [because] he peacefully protested against police brutality. He’s a Super Bowl QB [and] should be playing [because] his stats show that.”
Last November, the NFL arranged a workout for Kaepernick. Both sides were to blame for the failure of the session, which ultimately became a workout conducted solely by Kaepernick with no involvement of the league. He has received no interest or offers or invitations to tryout for specific teams since the workout.
Although the NFL has by all appearances moved on from Kaepernick, he hasn’t officially retired. Still, more than three years since his last NFL game, the chances of Kaepernick returning to pro football are very small, and they’re shrinking on a regular basis.
At this point, the label doesn’t matter; he won’t be playing again in the NFL.