Colin Kaepernick: The NFL Tried to Buy My Silence

Colin Kaepernick tells the parts he's never told: what NFL owners said in the room, the offer made while he was being blackballed — and the Jay-Z call that never happened. In this episode of What Now?, Colin sits with Trevor and Eugene for the full story: adopted into a white family in Turlock, the hair that became an identity, the backup who took a team to the Super Bowl in his 10th start — and the protest that cost him everything. Subscribe for more conversations from What Now? with Trevor Noah: http://bit.ly/SubscribeTrevorNoah Or follow the podcast on your other favorite platforms... SiriusXM Apple Podcasts - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnApplePodcasts Spotify - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnSpotify #ColinKaepernick #TrevorNoah #WhatNow #NFL #JayZ #Protest #KnowYourRightsCamp 00:00 - Colin Kaepernick on Jay-Z, the NFL and protest 01:15 - The version of Colin people think they know 05:10 - Growing up Black in a white family 15:00 - Adoption, identity and belonging 33:00 - Why Black hair became political 41:20 - Race, code-switching and being mixed-race 55:00 - Why football became home 01:03:00 - The pressure and culture of football 01:23:00 - Becoming an NFL quarterback 01:37:00 - The moment that led to his protest 01:48:00 - Building Know Your Rights Camp 01:53:00 - Why he chose to sit during the anthem 02:03:00 - What happened after the NFL protest 02:10:00 - Colin Kaepernick on Jay-Z 02:19:00 - Nessa’s role in Colin’s life and work

Colin KaepernickguestTrevor NoahhostEugenehost

Sep 17, 20262h 25mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: September 17, 2026
Duration: 2h 25m
Channel: What Now? With Trevor Noah
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Colin Kaepernick tells the parts he's never told: what NFL owners said in the room, the offer made while he was being blackballed — and the Jay-Z call that never happened. In this episode of What Now?, Colin sits with Trevor and Eugene for the full story: adopted into a white family in Turlock, the hair that became an identity, the backup who took a team to the Super Bowl in his 10th start — and the protest that cost him everything. Subscribe for more conversations from What Now? with Trevor Noah: http://bit.ly/SubscribeTrevorNoah Or follow the podcast on your other favorite platforms... SiriusXM Apple Podcasts - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnApplePodcasts Spotify - https://bit.ly/WhatNowOnSpotify #ColinKaepernick #TrevorNoah #WhatNow #NFL #JayZ #Protest #KnowYourRightsCamp 00:00 - Colin Kaepernick on Jay-Z, the NFL and protest 01:15 - The version of Colin people think they know 05:10 - Growing up Black in a white family 15:00 - Adoption, identity and belonging 33:00 - Why Black hair became political 41:20 - Race, code-switching and being mixed-race 55:00 - Why football became home 01:03:00 - The pressure and culture of football 01:23:00 - Becoming an NFL quarterback 01:37:00 - The moment that led to his protest 01:48:00 - Building Know Your Rights Camp 01:53:00 - Why he chose to sit during the anthem 02:03:00 - What happened after the NFL protest 02:10:00 - Colin Kaepernick on Jay-Z 02:19:00 - Nessa’s role in Colin’s life and work

SPEAKERS

Colin Kaepernick
guest
Former NFL quarterback and civil rights activist known for kneeling protests against racial injustice.
Trevor Noah
host
Comedian and TV/podcast host (What Now? With Trevor Noah), originally from South Africa.
Eugene
host
Co-host/side participant on What Now? With Trevor Noah.

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of What Now? With Trevor Noah, featuring Colin Kaepernick and Trevor Noah, Colin Kaepernick: The NFL Tried to Buy My Silence explores kaepernick on identity, protest, and the NFL’s alleged image campaign Colin Kaepernick recounts growing up as a Black/mixed child adopted by white parents in predominantly white communities, arguing that belonging, identity, and even Black hair became politicized early in his life.

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