Colin Kaepernick’s effort to secure the maximum NFL pension and lifetime healthcare benefits has come to an end after a mediation decision rejected his argument that his years away from the league should count toward his credited seasons.
Kaepernick had sought the maximum pension benefit of $700,000, along with lifetime healthcare coverage. His argument was that the years he spent outside the NFL should be considered when calculating the eight seasons required to qualify for the highest level of benefits.
The former quarterback argued that his absence from the league was closely connected to the political controversy surrounding his national anthem protests. According to his position, he remained capable of playing but was unable to continue his career because of the circumstances surrounding his activism.
That argument was rejected by the mediator, who determined that the NFL could not be held responsible for the years Kaepernick spent outside the league.
“NFL does not bear responsibility for the way Mr. Kaepernick chose to use the platform,” the mediation report stated. “The league did offer the opportunities, but the required number of seasons has not been played.”
The decision effectively ended Kaepernick’s effort to have his years away from football treated as credited seasons for pension purposes.
The dispute centered on how NFL service time should be calculated when determining retirement benefits. Kaepernick maintained that the circumstances surrounding his departure should have been taken into account when determining his eligibility for the maximum benefits.
His position was essentially that the years he spent away from an NFL roster should not prevent him from receiving benefits he believed he would have earned had his career continued.
The mediator disagreed, concluding that the required seasons had not been completed.
The decision also highlights the distinction between a player’s activism and the rules governing NFL retirement benefits. Kaepernick’s protests became one of the most prominent athlete-led demonstrations in modern American sports, but the mediation decision concluded that the controversy could not be used to add additional credited seasons to his record.
Kaepernick has previously challenged the NFL over his treatment following his protests. In 2017, he filed a grievance alleging that NFL owners had colluded to prevent him from obtaining employment. That dispute was ultimately resolved in 2019 through a confidential agreement.
The pension issue is separate from that earlier grievance and concerns retirement and healthcare benefits rather than employment.
For Kaepernick, the decision means his attempt to qualify for the maximum pension and lifetime healthcare package has been unsuccessful.
The ruling leaves him with the benefits for which he otherwise qualifies under the applicable NFL and NFLPA rules rather than the enhanced package he sought.
The decision has brought the pension dispute to a close, with the mediator determining that time away from an NFL roster cannot simply be counted as additional playing seasons.
Kaepernick has yet to publicly respond to the decision.
For now, the former quarterback’s attempt to have his years away from the league included in his credited service has been rejected, ending his push for the maximum pension and lifetime healthcare benefits.