Kaepernick is still without an NFL club since he was released by the San Francisco 49ers after the 2016 season.
Polarising NFL star Colin Kaepernick has been made the face of Nike’s 30th ‘Just do it’ anniversary campaign.
The campaign has a black-and-white photo of his face with a captain which reads “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.”
The 30-year-old has been sponsored by Nike since 2011.
The campaign also features popular athletes like Serena Williams and NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Kaepernick is still without an NFL club since he was released by the San Francisco 49ers after the 2016 season.
Controversial protest
It was that season that the quarterback courted controversy by kneeling during the national anthem to raise awareness about police brutality against African-Americans and other racial injustices.
The protest sparked intense debate about the fusion of politics and sports as several other NFL stars joined in.
In 2017, the quarterback filed a grievance against NFL, accusing them of conspiring against him because of his protest.
Just last week, an arbiter denied NFL’s request to throw out the grievance as the case will now proceed o trial.
It is known how much backlash Nike, who is the official uniform sponsor of the NFL, will face over this action.
Backlash
The announcement, however, has sparked debates on social media with several people threatening to cut ties with the brand.
Some Nike customers took to Twitter to share videos of them destroying their apparel.
“First the NFL forces me to choose between my favourite sport and my country. I chose country,” Twitter user Sean Clancy said.
“Then Nike forces me to choose between my favourite shoes and my country. Since when did the American Flag and the National Anthem become offensive?”
Another Twitter user AlterAtYeshiva shared a video of himself burning some Nike sneakers.