Colin Kaepernick Appears To Have a New Plan To Cash In On His Fame
Colin Kaepernick might not make it back to the NFL, but he has found another way to rake in some cash.
The free agent quarterback, formerly of the San Francisco 49ers, is best known for kneeling for the national anthem during the 2016 season and starting a wave of divisive protests. Now, he is continuing to use this notoriety to make money.
Kaepernick’s company, Inked Flash, has filed a trademark claim on the phrase, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
It is the exact same slogan associated with Kaepernick when he was the face of Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign last September.
The filing was noted Thursday by trademark attorney Josh Gerben, who tweeted that Kaepernick intends to use the slogan on clothing, for a website and at workshops and seminars.
Colin Kaepernick's company filed a trademark for BELIEVE IN SOMETHING, EVEN IF IT MEANS SACRIFICING EVERYTHING.
Nike first used the slogan in a commercial last year but never filed a trademark application for the phrase.
My analysis of filing and its significance 👇: pic.twitter.com/zwfQjbtMUz
— Josh Gerben (@JoshGerben) June 9, 2019
Essentially, Kaepernick is claiming he sacrificed his NFL career by kneeling for the national anthem in a protest against racism and police brutality. The quarterback opted out of his contract with the 49ers in 2017 and has yet to sign with another team.
However, he has made good money since then and even reportedly turned down a chance to return to the football field.
Earlier this year, Sporting News reported that Kaepernick had talks with the XFL, which is set to begin play in 2020.
He reportedly wanted a $20 million contract, a demand Vince McMahon’s league could not meet.
Even without such a deal, Kaepernick has done well financially since leaving the NFL.
The quarterback scored a $1 million book deal with Random House in 2017, according to Sports Illustrated. The book has yet to be published.
Kaepernick also filed a collusion grievance against the NFL alongside former 49ers teammate Eric Reid, now with the Carolina Panthers; in February, they were both awarded an undisclosed sum of money.
Some speculated the settlement was as much as $80 million, but later reports indicated it was less than $10 million. Still, that is a large sum of money.
The reason Kaepernick remains out of the NFL is open to debate. While he and his supporters claim he has been blackballed because of his anthem protests, his performance on the field declined in his last two seasons in San Francisco.
In 2016, Kaepernick posted a 49.2 quarterback rating, which ranked 23rd of 30 qualified NFL quarterbacks, just behind Denver’s Trevor Siemian and Houston’s Brock Osweiler. The 49ers had a 1-10 record in games he started.
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