Despite currently being an unsigned free agent and being blackballed by the NFL, Colin Kaepernick has managed to retain an endorsement deal with Nike.
Nike was one of the first major companies to publicly back Kaepernick's social justice activism. In February 2019, following their renewal of Kaepernick's endorsement deal, the company dropped a monochromatic black jersey emblazoned with Kaepernick's jersey number during his time with the 49ers, no. 7. It sold out in 24 hours.
Yesterday, the company revealed pictures of the Icon Jersey 2.0, a re-release of the earlier all-black jersey. It sold out in a matter of minutes upon release this morning.
"The Colin Kaepernick Icon Jersey 2.0 marks Nike's continued product collaboration with Colin and celebrates those making a positive impact in their community through sport and education," Nike said in a statement about the release. "This celebration is represented in the meaning behind the line, True to 7"
Kaepernick, who was just ranked the top free agent quarterback in Madden NFL 2021, also shared some thoughts about the release on Instagram.
"Four years ago, I took a knee to protest against systemic racism and social injustice," he recounted. "It was that day that the number on my jersey would come to represent something greater than football, something greater than me. Since then, the number 7 jersey has become a symbol for advancing the liberation and well-being of Black & Brown communities. Thank you for staying True."
The jersey has since been blowing up on resale sites, with jerseys being listed on StockX for nearly three times the original price of $150.