It’s been almost 10 years since Colin Kaepernick last played in the NFL. A losing season and the controversy surrounding his protest made his return difficult. However, even after all these years, he still believes he deserves another chance.

“I still train for it every morning,” Colin Kaepernick said on The Moment with Jorge Ramos and Paola Ramos. “Absolutely. We have to get one of the owners to crack. And we just gotta find one. All it takes is one.”

Kaepernick’s NFL journey began when the San Francisco 49ers selected him with the 36th overall pick in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He was signed as a backup for Alex Smith. His opportunity came in 2012 when Smith suffered a concussion, allowing Kaepernick to take over as the starting quarterback.

He impressed with his performances and helped the 49ers reach Super Bowl XLVII, where they faced the Baltimore Ravens but lost 34–31. But controversy eventually put his promising career on a difficult path.

Kaepernick kicked off a series of protests that would go on to mark a pivotal moment in NFL history. He used to kneel during the National Anthem before games, as a form of dissent regarding racial inequality and police brutality. That season, the 49ers would finish a disappointing 1-10.

Well, backlash soon followed. After the season, Colin Kaepernick chose to opt out of his contract and become a free agent rather than return to the 49ers. Nobody signed him up afterward.

“It is really not about his ability,” an anonymous NFL executive told ESPN’s Mike Sando in August 2017. “It’s about the risk of what happens to the team concept when you sign a guy, a quarterback who has put his personal agenda ahead of what we are all charged to do, which is put the team first. As a team builder, I cannot risk that happening again, especially for a borderline starter who needs the entire offense catered to his style.”

Kaepernick then filed a lawsuit against the NFL for colluding against him, eventually settling the case in 2019. There was an attempt to have Kaepernick work out for NFL teams in 2019, but it backfired. He then organized a workout by moving the location to an Atlanta-area high school, per ESPN.

Interestingly, former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh wanted to try Kaepernick for his team, having faced him in the Super Bowl, according to The Athletic.

“His talent, and also the fact I had inside information as to who he was from my brother [Jim Harbaugh],” Harbaugh told the publication about why he was interested in the polarizing QB. “We talked a lot about him, and I’d met Kap many times, had numerous conversations with him because of that. We talked about it at length as an organization, and we liked the fit.”

Despite this, Kaepernick has continued to speak about his desire to return to football. This isn’t the first time he has asked for another chance. In September 2026, he expressed the same desire during a conversation with sports journalist Jemele Hill.

“I put in the work and the hours; I want the same shot that everybody else gets. You say you’re a meritocracy; regardless of my critiques of you, I should have the right to go out and show you that I’m the best,” Kaepernick said. “And by denying that, you’re also telling on yourself in relation to what you actually value and what they’re actually looking for. They aren’t looking for the best players; they’re looking for obedient players who can put on a great show.”

Now, years later, Kaepernick is still hoping to return to the NFL. Whether a team will finally give him that opportunity remains to be seen.

The post “Just Gotta Find One”: Colin Kaepernick Still Chasing NFL Return as He Hopes to Make One Owner “Crack” appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.