Colin Kaepernick's Days of Kneeling for Anthem Are Over

Colin Kaepernick is declaring victory and ending his protest of the national anthem, ESPN reports. After kneeling for the anthem during every game of 2016, the quarterback says he'll stand during the 2017 NFL season. According to USA Today, Kaepernick started kneeling to protest police brutality and racial inequality. He says the country is now having a conversation about social inequality thanks in part to his kneeling and the protests of other athletes who joined him. He says further kneeling would only distract from that conversation. Kaepernick, who donated $1 million to organizations around the country in addition to kneeling, was honored by the 49ers at the end of the season. He'll reportedly opt out of his 49ers contract and become a free agent next week. (More Colin Kaepernick stories.)