Misinformation regarding former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick frequently circulates on social media, and a recent quote attributed to the activist exemplifies this trend.A post dated September 13 stated, “Colin Kaepernick: ‘Will go to Russia if not respected properly in the United States.’” This post was flagged as part of Meta’s initiative to address false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (For more information about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, please refer to our resources.)

A spokesperson for Kaepernick did not respond promptly to inquiries from PolitiFact regarding the post; however, it was discovered that the quote originated from a self-identified satire website.A September 10 Facebook post from SpaceX Fanclub noted, “Colin Kaepernick says he’ll leave for Russia if he doesn’t receive the respect he deserves in the U.S. – This is SATIRE,” emphasizing that “nothing on this page is real.”We searched for credible evidence, such as news articles or public statements from Kaepernick, to support the claim that he made such a statement but found none.

Furthermore, Kaepernick is an unlikely candidate to become a Russian expatriate. A 2019 report from the U.S. Senate concluded that a Russian disinformation campaign targeted Kaepernick, who began protesting police violence against Black Americans in 2016 by sitting or kneeling during pregame national anthems. In 2019, he and the NFL reached a settlement regarding a grievance that accused the league and team owners of colluding to exclude him from football.We assess the claim that Kaepernick stated he would leave the United States for Russia as false.