Colin Kaepernick Net Worth $20 Million

Colin Rand Kaepernick was born on November 3, 1987, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His birth mother, Heidi Ross, who was 19 at the time, surrendered him for adoption. At 5 weeks old, he was adopted by Rick and Teresa Kaepernick. He joined the couple’s other two children, Kyle and Devon. The Kaepernick family lived in Wisconsin until Colin was 4 years old, then they made the move to California.

It was here that the young Kaepernick began playing youth football. He was also an excellent baseball player. Colin continued playing sports into high school and was his football team’s head quarterback. Education was important to Colin as well and he maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout his 4 high school years.

Colin’s Athletic Skills

Kapernick was such a stand-out pitcher on his baseball team, that everyone thought that would be the sport he would pursue. So it was surprising when he took the only football scholarship offered to him from the University of Nevada. During his time with Nevada, Kaepernick was twice named the WAC offensive player of the year. While in college, he also maintained a perfect GPA.

When it came time for the NFL draft in 2011, Kaepernick was the 36th pick in the 2nd round. The San Francisco 49ers selected him to be a back up quarterback for the team. In 2012, he took over the starting position when lead quarterback Alex Smith suffered a concussion.

Over the next several seasons, Colin would bounce between head quarterback and second string. He suffered a series of injuries and required surgery on his thumb, knee, and shoulder. This led to weight and muscle loss, which affected his playing.

However, during his 6 seasons with San Francisco, he made a fortune.

Colin Kaepernick Net Worth

Colin Kaepernick’s current net worth is estimated to be $20 million. Over the course of his football career, he made $43 million with the NFL. Analysts have stated that the number would have been much higher had he continued to play. In 2016, Kaepernick decided to protest police brutality in the United States. He first chose not to stand during the playing of the national anthem.

He was met with much criticism for this decision. Many accused him of symbolically spitting in the face of our military and veterans. When talking to fellow players who were themselves veterans, they suggested Colin take a knee instead. They felt this was respectful of the military and still a show of protest against what Kaepernick was trying to draw attention to. But this caused even more outrage when many other players took part in the protest.

People tuned out of the games. President Donald Trump called for the firing of all players who took a knee during the anthem. In 2017, Colin Kaepernick became a free agent. He has yet to find a team to sign him. Colin blames politics for him no longer being able to play football. He filed a grievance against the NFL and reached an undisclosed settlement. Though this controversy has affected his overall net worth, the former star quarterback has been making money in other areas.

Nike Endorsement

Kaepernick had been under contract with Nike since 2011. He was rarely used because, as he stated, “they just didn’t know what to do” with him. Then, after the kneeling controversy, they signed him up for the 30th anniversary “Just Do It” campaign. Where the general theme was to stand up for what you believe in, even if it’s not popular. Though the total amount he made from the deal was undisclosed, it’s said he would make “millions a year” plus royalties.

Netflix Mini-Series

Kaepernick partnered with the streaming giant Netflix in 2021 to produce a limited docu-series Colin: In Black and White”, about his childhood and life in the NFL. It was here that he compared the NFL to slave owners.

Other Endorsements

Over the years, Colin has earned a substantial amount of money from endorsing products including:

Beats By Dre (headphones)
McDonalds
Jaguar
Electronic Arts (video game consoles and gear)
Muscle Pharm (sports nutrition supplements)

Books And Publishing

Colin penned a children’s book for the Scholastic Company entitled, I Color Myself Different, about being a person of color being adopted by, and growing up with, white parents. A graphic novel came next entitled Change The Game, where he collaborated with artist Eve L. Ewing. In 2020, he started Kaepernick Publishing, where he plans to publish his memoirs. He also plans other books about what it’s like to be in the NFL and civil rights in the United States.

Real Estate Holdings

Early in his career, Colin bought a sprawling mansion in San Jose, California. The quarterback paid $2.7 million for the 4500 square foot home. In 2016, he sold the home for $3 million. This was when he decided to relocate and downsize. He and his partner Nessa, bought a 1700 square foot condo in the upscale Tribeca section of New York City.

Colin Kaepernick And Social Justice

Over the years, Colin Kaepernick has been very involved in social justice movements. Particularly those involved in pushing back against racism and police brutality. He has worked along side his partner Nessa Diab, to support the Black Lives Matter movement and bring awareness to the incidents of violence and racism that black men in particular face from the police and the legal system.

Kaepernick and Diab (a television host) started their own organization, the Know Your Rights Campaign. The organization concentrated on education, self-empowerment, and legal help for underserved young people. He has also been active in the 100 Suits For 100 Men organization. They give suits to men who are looking for work so they can go for job interviews. Kaepernick has donated dozens of suits, some new and some of his own to the cause.

He often visits schools and community centers to speak to young people about injustice and change. Telling them that they need to stand up and act when they see something that’s wrong. He stresses the fact that he’s lost a lot because he’s done it himself, but that’s the only way to make real change in the world.

Will He Ever Play Again?

This is the million dollar question. Though he has had several opportunities to “work out” with teams, he has either canceled them for various reasons or there could not be a contract settlement. He most recently had a successful session with the Las Vegas Raiders in May of 2022. It seemed like he was close to signing, but nothing transpired. Whether he ever plays professional football again or not, Colin Kaepernick is a force to be reckoned with on and off the field.

You can also read: