Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick talked with XFL executives last fall about possibly playing for the league when it reboots in 2020, according to Sporting News’ Michael McCarthy.
McCarthy notes Kaepernick was seeking at least $20 million to play in the XFL. That’s a steep ask, given McCarthy reported that the league is looking to pay starting quarterbacks $250,000 per season.
This development comes after Barry Wilner of the Associated Press reported earlier this month that the Alliance of American Football—which debuted Feb. 9—sought to sign the controversial QB. Per Wilner, Kaepernick was seeking $20 million-plus from that startup league as well.
Kaepernick has not played football professionally since the 2016 NFL season. He completed just 59.2 percent of his passes for 2,241 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions in 12 games for San Francisco in 2016, adding 468 yards and two scores on the ground.
During the early years of his career, though, the former second-round pick out of Nevada was one of the most dynamic playmakers in the league. He led the 49ers to within one play of a Super Bowl title after taking over the starting job midseason in 2012 and took the team to the NFC Championship Game in his first full year of starting.
That strong start to his career led to him receiving a six-year, $126 million extension during the 2014 offseason.
Kaepernick went 1-10 in his final year with the 49ers, a performance that may have been impacted by the fact he underwent surgeries for shoulder, thumb and knee injuries during a three-month window from November 2015 to January 2016.
Kaepernick’s 2016 season will more notably be known for his taking a knee during the national anthem to protest against racial injustice and police violence, starting a player movement throughout all of sports.
Having not been on an NFL roster since opting out of the final year of his contract in 2016, Kaepernick filed a collusion grievance against the league in October 2017. That case was settled Feb. 15, with a confidentiality agreement preventing details from becoming public.
It’s worth noting XFL owner Vince McMahon previously made it clear that his league will not allow players to take a knee during the national anthem or make political statements during games.
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