Colin Kaepernick has admitted that he has not watched an NFL game in eight years – but acknowledged that he is open to a return to football at “any given moment”.

The quarterback played for the San Francisco 49ers for six years between 2011-2016 before he became a free agent prior to the 2017 campaign. However, the 36-year-old has not played since then, filing a grievance against the league as he accused its owners of collusion against him – with a settlement eventually reached between both parties.

The civil rights activist, who is credited with being the first NFL player to take the knee back in 2016, has now updated fans on his relationship with the sport. He appeared at the WSJ Tech Live Conference alongside an ensemble of names from the entertainment industry as he revealed he has not watched football for nearly a decade.

At the event, which was also attended by major names from the entertainment industry including Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos and Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer, he confirmed: “I haven’t watched a game in 8 years.”

“Oh, I still check everybody’s stats. It also informs who my agent reaches out to, but I still check the stats,” he explained. “I see what’s going on. I don’t ever turn a game on though, because I’m not gonna support in that way, but I need to keep my finger on the pulse of what’s happening with quarterbacks out there.

“I still wake up every morning and train. I’ve had to adjust my schedule a little bit, which saying this out loud sounds a little bizarre, but I get up at 3:30a.m. and I start my workday and then I go do my training… I still train every day, I still train the way I was when I was playing, making sure that I’m ready at any given moment.”

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Colin Kaepernick has not played a single minute in the NFL following his departure from the San Francisco 49ers

Colin Kaepernick has not played a single minute in the NFL following his departure from the San Francisco 49ers ( 

Image:

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

This admission comes after Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh addressed whether Kaepernick would be forming part of the team’s coaching staff for 2024 after speculation. He said previously: “I love Colin, but he’s not going to be on the coaching staff, which is set for this year. And he’s not going to be playing on the roster either.

“I have thought that for a long time. Just the respect that I have for the football mind he has and the football man that he is. [Late Raiders owner] Al Davis saw something in me that made him think I would be a good coach, and I see those same qualities in Colin. If it is something he chooses.”

Later appearing on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”, Kaepernick put the rumor to bed, saying: “It is not true. I found out the same way everyone else did — on social media. I was like, ‘Oh, I got a coaching offer.’ No, no coaching offer.

“No interest in coaching. I need the adrenaline rush of playing and being in it, or I think I can have more impact in other places with my time.”