Colin Kaepernick is one of the most divisive sports stars in America.
Last season, the quarterback decided to take a knee during the American national anthem before each NFL match. At the time he was a back-up for the San Francisco 49ers, but he became the first choice for the team as the season progressed.
In August, before the NFL season began, Kaepernick stated he could not "show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour."
"I am not looking for approval", he added. "I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right."
At the end of last season,he opted out of his contract with the 49ers, and he has become a free agent. The 29-year-old has yet to sign for a new team.
While his quest to find a new team is widely spoken about in America, Donald Trump decided to mention it at an event this week in Kentucky.
"Your San Francisco quarterback, I’m sure nobody ever heard of him," Trump began, in a flip from his script. "There was an article today, it’s reported, that NFL owners don’t want to pick him up because they don’t want to get a nasty tweet from Donald Trump. Can you believe that?"
Trump's comments, and his tendencies to go off-script on social media have warned NFL teams about signing the quarterback, who almost led the 49ers to a Super Bowl win in 2013.
Earlier this week, an unnamed NFL general manager said that Trump's threat may be holding teams back from signing Kaepernick.
"Some teams fear the backlash from fans after getting him", the unnamed GM told Bleacher Report. "They think there might be protests or Trump will tweet about the team. I'd say that number is around 10%."
Kaepernick's views of Trump and his administration are well known. It's no coincidence that the player donated $50,000 to Meals on Wheels, days after the organisation was threatened with budget cuts, from the Republican administration.
The quarterback is good enough to get another contract, whether it's as a starter or a backup quarterback. Whether the shadow of Trump and what that brings, may alter team's thinking remains to be seen.
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
