The San Francisco 49ers enjoyed a strong start to the 2026 campaign when they picked up a 27-7 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1. Now, they will be looking to carry that strong performance into Week 2, where a far less imposing Miami Dolphins team awaits them. Simply put, if San Fran doesn’t push its record to 2-0, it would be a major surprise.
In the buildup to this game, one of the Niners’ former quarterbacks, Colin Kaepernick, has once again found himself at the center of controversy. As one of the most divisive figures in the world of sports, Kaepernick has drawn attention this time for his comments about the U.S. National Anthem.
Colin Kaepernick Says the National Anthem Isn’t a Good Song
A second-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Kaepernick eventually became the 49ers’ starting quarterback midway through the 2012 campaign. After taking over under center that year, Kaepernick eventually ended up leading San Fran all the way to Super Bowl XLVII, but the team suffered a crushing 34-31 loss.
That ended up being the highlight of Kaepernick’s time in town, as he led the team back to the NFC Championship Game the following year, only to come up short against the Seattle Seahawks. Thanks to injuries, Kaepernick’s skills began to decline, but he also became a lightning rod for controversy after he began kneeling for the National Anthem during the 2016 campaign.
After that season, Kaepernick never took the field in the NFL again, and he hasn’t been shy in calling out the NFL and its teams for colluding to keep him out of the league. Anytime Kaepernick talks, he seems to create some sort of controversy, and true to form, he has come under fire for saying that he doesn’t believe “The Star-Spangled Banner” is a good song.
“No,” Kaepernick said when asked if he liked the U.S. National Anthem on “The Adam Friedland Show.” “It’s a bad song.”
Colin Kaepernick Remains Divisive as Ever a Decade After His Last NFL Game
It’s now been nearly a decade since Kaepernick has played in the NFL, but he continues to find his way draw attention for his eye-opening comments. There’s no doubt that Kaepernick’s outspoken beliefs helped keep him out of a job once the Niners decided to move on from him, but it’s also worth noting that he wasn’t particularly effective the last time we saw him on the field, as he won just one of his 11 starts with the team in 2016.
By now, San Francisco is well past its Kaepernick era, as it is devoted to Brock Purdy under center moving forward. After retooling the offense over the offseason, Purdy was in complete control against Los Angeles’ defense in Week 1, and with a weak Miami team in front of him, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him put together another big game on Sunday.
Former 49ers Quarterback Comes Under Fire for Latest Controversial Comments