Colin Kaepernick used to be everywhere. Football fields, magazine covers, commercials, cable news debates. Lately, he’s been something much rarer for a famous person: hard to find. Alex Bruno went looking.
Fans have noticed that Kaepernick hasn’t been in the news much this year. No big campaigns, no splashy announcements, no viral workouts. His social media has been quiet, too.
“It’s like he went into airplane mode,” one longtime follower posted. “For a year.”
Friends say there’s nothing dramatic going on. He’s just taking a break from being Colin Kaepernick, the public figure, and spending more time being Colin, the guy who likes to sleep in.
According to people close to him, Kaepernick has been spending a lot of time visiting old friends and former teammates. Some of those visits have gone on longer than planned.
“He came over for dinner in March,” one former player joked. “I think he left in May. Great guy. Eats a lot of cereal.”
Another friend said Kaepernick has become an expert at finding the comfiest couch in any house. “He walks in, looks around and goes straight to it,” the friend said. “Like a cat.”
Kaepernick has always loved working with young players, and he’s spent time helping out at camps and practices around the Bay Area. Former campers say he’s patient, funny and very serious about footwork.
“He made us do drills until our legs fell off,” one high school quarterback said. “Then he bought everybody pizza. So we forgave him.”
Friends say he’s still thinking about what his next big project should be. He just isn’t in a rush. For someone who spent years at the center of national arguments, a quiet stretch might be exactly what he needs.
“People forget he’s been in the middle of a storm for almost a decade,” said a sports writer who has covered him for years. “Everybody needs a nap after that. His just happens to be a long one.”
He still shows up at community events now and then, signs autographs and poses for photos. He just doesn’t post about it. His friends have one request: that he occasionally do the dishes.
“I love him,” said a former teammate. “He’s family. But I’ve started leaving the sponge on the couch so he’ll find it.” Another friend said it with a laugh: “He’s become that buddy you love, but you also kind of hope finds his own place soon. You know the type.”
Even out of the spotlight, Kaepernick still has a loyal following. Fans regularly post old highlights from his days in San Francisco, and his jersey still pops up at games.
“He meant something to a lot of people,” said a fan wearing his old No. 7 jersey outside a Bay Area coffee shop. “Whatever he does next, I’ll be watching.”
Others are just curious. On social media, a running joke has fans posting photos of empty couches with the caption “Is Kaepernick here?” Friends say he’s seen the posts and finds them funny. One of them claimed he responded with a single couch emoji, which is about as much as he’s posted all year.
Nobody knows for sure. Kaepernick has hinted at books, documentaries and more youth programs. Any of them could happen next year. Or he might just enjoy another quiet season.
“He’ll come back when he’s ready,” one friend said. “He always does. Until then, he’s on my couch with my remote. Somebody tell him the Wi-Fi password changed.”