It’s been 10 years since then-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a seat during the playing of the U.S. national anthem.
But a decade after the social justice protest heard round the world, Kaepernick’s presence is still being felt across the NFL—and sports at large.
The NFL will again place anti-racism messages across playing fields and player helmets in 2026, Front Office Sports has learned. It will be the seventh straight season the Shield has been out front on social justice messaging. The strategy dates back to 2020, when the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer ignited a long hot summer of protests and social unrest. “Can confirm that we are continuing with both the end zone stencils and helmet decals this season,” an NFL spokeswoman told FOS in a statement.
Kaepernick has not played a down in the NFL since quarterbacking the 49ers in the final week of the 2016 schedule. But the changes he inspired continue to this day. Among them:
On-Field Messaging: Over the past six seasons, all 32 NFL teams have stenciled in on-field messages around their end zones. Last year, they chose between four options: “End Racism,” “Choose Love,” “Stop Hate,” and “Inspire Change.” For February’s Super Bowl LX between the Seahawks and Patriots, the league added Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Choose Love” along with “It Takes All Of Us.”
