The pinnacle of Colin Kaepernick’s career came in two forms: when he nearly led a comeback victory in the Super Bowl against the Baltimore Ravens in 2013, and on the sideline when he kneeled to protest racism, discrimination and police brutality towards Black people in 2016. 

Kaepernick last played in the NFL in 2016 when he kneeled during the national anthem. 

However, in a league where quarterbacks like Nathan Peterman, Chase Daniels and Mitchell Trubisky are still employed, Kaepernick said in an interview with Ebony he trains regularly to maintain game shape if an opportunity arises. 

“I am still up at 5 a.m. training five, six days a week making sure I’m prepared to take a team to a Super Bowl again,” Kaepernick told The View co-host Sunny Hostin, who wrote the cover story. “That’s not something I will ever let go of, regardless of the actions of 32 teams and their partners to deny me employment.” 

The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has yet to receive any traction as a possible signee since his last year in the NFL. 

Related: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell: I ‘Encourage’ a Team to Sign Colin Kaepernick 

Kaepernick was joined by his teammate Eric Reid in San Francisco—who also protested—in a grievance against the NFL in Oct. 2017. The two accused owners of colluding, which they believed prevented Kaepernick from signing with a team. 

Reid last played for the Carolina Panthers in 2019. He amassed 124 total tackles during the 2019 season. 

The pair settled their grievance with the league in Feb. 2019, with Kaepernick reportedly getting less than $10 million. The sum was $2 million less than his 2016 base salary. 

“You’re going to have to continue to deny me and do so in a public way,” he told Ebony. “And you’re going to expose yourself by that, but it won’t be because I’m not ready or not prepared. But in that process, I’m also not going to let you bury my future,” he continued. “I’m going to continue to do work on the acting and producing side, continue to do the work with Know Your Rights, and make sure we are having an impact. I think that’s the beauty of us collectively—we are not one-dimensional.” 

Related: Netflix Gives First Glance of Colin Kaepernick Limited Series ‘Colin in Black & White’