FILE – In this Oct. 16, 2016, file photo, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick talks with the media after an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y. What started as a protest against police brutality has mushroomed a year later into a divisive debate over the future of Kaepernick who refused to stand for the national anthem and now faces what his fans see as blackballing for speaking out in a country roiled by racial strife. The once-rising star and Super Bowl quarterback has been unemployed since March, when he opted out of his contract and became a free agent who could sign with any team. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes, File)