Embattled former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is shopping a book.
The 29-year old is ‘taking meetings with publishers in the New York offices of WME,’ according to the New York Post.
Kaepernick is represented by Carlos Fleming, who works for William Morris Endeavor in New York. Neither Fleming nor Kaepernick’s lawyer Mark Geragos immediately returned request for comment.
Eli Harold (No. 58), Colin Kaepernick (No. 7) and Eric Reid (in black) of the San Francisco 49ers kneel on the sideline, during the anthem, prior to the game against the Seattle Seahawks
Kaepernick, a free agent, recently filed a lawsuit against the NFL, claiming teams colluded against him in retaliation for his decision to take a knee during the national anthem throughout the 2016 season.
By refusing to stand for the ‘Star-Spangled Banner,’ Kaepernick was protesting inequality and police brutality against minorities.
The demonstrations have since engulfed the NFL in controversy. Many other players have followed by sitting, kneeling, or raising a fist during the national anthem, but the issue has become even more contentious since President Donald Trump weighed in during a speech in late September.
Not only did Trump accuse players of disrespecting the country, calling them ‘sons of b******,’ but he also demanded NFL owners punish those who refuse to stand for the anthem.
Kaepernick helped bring the 49ers to the Super Bowl at the end of the 2012 season
Trump has followed by hammering the NFL on Twitter.
Thus far, the NFL has not changed any rule which would compel players to stand during the anthem.
Still, the issue remains an open wound for a league that has seen its television audience drop 8.2 percent from the first six weeks of last season and 18.7 percent from 2015, according to Nielsen data.
Trump even recently launched a petition for ‘supporters who stand for the National Anthem.’ There is no call to action on the petition, but signees are asked to make a campaign donation.
Meanwhile, Kaepernick has remained out of the NFL since opting out of his contract last March – reportedly a pre-emptive move by a player who expected to be released by the 49ers.
One by one, teams have balked at the chance to sign Kaepernick, who led the 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII.
Most recently, Arizona Cardinals coach Bruce Arians dismissed the idea after his starter, Carson Palmer, broke his arm at the age of 37.
The Green Bay Packers recently lost quarterback Aaron Rodgers for possibly the entire season, but have chosen not to reach out to Kaepernick, a native of Wisconsin.
In a lawsuit, Kaepernick accused the NFL owners of colluding to keep him unsigned in 2017