Once a rising NFL star, now a punchline: Fans clown Colin Kaepernick’s comeback talk

Every year like clockwork, Colin Kaepernick lets the world know he’s still in shape and ready to return to the NFL. And every year, fans respond with the same collective eye-roll. Now, in 2025, the annual “Kap comeback alert” has officially entered meme territory and the NFL community is cracking jokes left and right.

Colin Kaepernick says he’s staying ready as OTAs begin, but fans say, “Here we go again”

This week, reports started floating around that the former 49ers quarterback, who last played in 2016 is once again staying in game shape and letting teams know he’s open for business. With OTAs underway and some teams shuffling their QB rooms, Kaepernick’s name resurfaced like it always does this time of year.

But instead of excitement, fans gave us… memes. Savage ones.“Colin Kaepernick gonna be 60 years old still letting teams know he's ready to play,” one fan tweeted, summing up the vibe.Another fan chimed in with peak Gen Z sarcasm:“I sent teams my recess stats.”And of course, the classic:“Annual announcement lol.”This isn’t new. In fact, many fans now see it as part of the NFL offseason ritual. Just like combine hype or schedule reveals, so too comes the annual “Kap is still available” headline only this one’s met with far less enthusiasm and way more roast energy.

From political icon to punchline—what happened to the Kap comeback story?

When Kaepernick first stepped away from the NFL to protest police brutality in 2016, he became a global symbol of activism.

Since then, he’s been front and center in Nike ads, documentaries, and cultural debates. But when it comes to football? That door has looked pretty closed for a while.Still, every year without fail, he trains, he throws, and he hopes. But fans aren’t buying it anymore and the responses prove it:“He’s letting them know that his knees are in great shape,” one user joked. “I heard the Browns are signing him,” another posted, clearly trolling.Even those who still admire him are saying it out loud: “I love Kap, but it’s over lol.”Seven years out of the league is a long time. And while it’s admirable that Kaepernick stays committed, fans are past the point of treating it seriously. This isn’t about hate, it’s about fatigue. The story doesn’t hit the same anymore.Kaepernick may still be hopeful, but fans are clearly over the yearly reminders. The NFL's not biting, and neither is the internet. If he’s really planning a return, he might want to change the play because the current one? It’s getting memed into oblivion.Also read - Internet melts as Travis Kelce supports Taylor Swift’s win: “He knows how to support his girl!”