NFL legend Brian Urlacher rips Colin Kaepernick, says protests wouldn’t have flown in his locker room
- 625 words
Colin Kaepernick’s infamous protests during the 2016 NFL season are still talked about to this day, but Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher made it clear something like that wouldn’t have flown if he was in the same locker room.
The legendary Chicago Bears linebacker talked about Kaepernick’s knee-taking and locker room dynamics in general during an appearance on OutKick’s “The Craig Carton Show.”
Carton asked Urlacher if politics were a big thing in the Bears’ locker room while he was playing in the league.
PATRIOTS LEGEND ROB GRONKOWSKI REVEALS THE IMPACT POLITICS HAS ON LOCKER ROOM DYNAMICS

Chicago Bears legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher said that Colin Kaepernick’s infamous anthem protests would not have gone over well in his locker room. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images and Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
“No,” Urlacher said. “Politics — I didn’t even know what I was (politically) back then. I didn’t care, man… You can’t have the racial divide in the locker room. It’s just not going to work. If you do, your team is going to be s—.”
Urlacher pointed out that everyone in the room is coming together to work toward the same goal, but Kaepernick’s anthem protests? That wouldn’t have flown with him.

Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid of the San Francisco 49ers kneel in protest during the national anthem before an NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sept. 12, 2016. (Getty Images)
THE CRAIG CARTON SHOW–UNFILTERED, UNAPOLOGETIC AND UNMISSABLE. DOWNLOAD HIS DAILY PODCAST NOW!
“The thing with him taking a knee would have been really, really f—king hard for me to put up with in the locker room,” he said. “That would have been something that would have probably been a line in the sand for me when it comes to stuff like that.”
He and Carton both agreed that in the locker room, all that matters is that you’re there, not how you got there; an idea that Carton said should probably be applied to society at large.
Urlacher agreed.

Brian Urlacher is honored with a Ring of Excellence ceremony for his recent induction into the Hall of Fame at Soldier Field. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
“We have to get along (in the locker room),” he said. “There are going to be spats, don’t get me wrong. There are some times where you get into it with your teammates, but then literally 30 minutes later it’s squashed. You’re over it. You’re moving on.”
But again, that whole thing with Kaepernick was different. In fact, it turned him off from the league for years.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“I’d retired, so I was watching all this happen on TV, and we quit watching. There were probably two, two and a half, three years where we didn’t watch football. I was like, as long as this s—‘s taking place, I’m not watching. My wife was fully on board. She’s all about that as well. So we just didn’t watch pro football for a few years there because of all the s— that was going on.”
Matthew Reigle is a writer for OutKick.
Share this:
- Share on X (Opens in new window) X
- Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
- Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
- Share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
- Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
- Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
- Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
Related
Author
Related Posts
Ministerio de Agricultura realiza primera Mesa Técnica del Huevo para abordar desafíos del sector
El Ministerio de Agricultura encabezó la primera sesión de la Mesa Técnica del Huevo, una nueva instancia de coordinación entre representantes del...
Read out all
Super El Niño breaks sea temperature record weeks ahead of expected peak
Although the most widespread impacts are expected later this year and into 2027, El Niño’s influence is already being felt across parts...
Read out all
Trump's diesel deal with Russia equals less than two weeks of U.S. demand – CNBC
Trump’s diesel deal with Russia equals less than two weeks of U.S. demand CNBC Lawmakers push back on Trump’s fuel deal with Russia NBC...
Read out all
The ‘Halloween Fireballs’ are coming. Here’s what to expect from the Taurids in October 2026
They don’t produce anything like the torrent of “shooting stars” associated with August’s Perseids or December’s Geminids, but the Taurid meteor showers...
Read out all
Când joacă Sorana Cîrstea în turul 1 al turneului de la Wuhan » Înfruntare cu o favorită locală
Articol de Luminița Paul – Publicat luni, 12 octombrie 2026 20:41 / Actualizat luni, 12 octombrie 2026 20:42 Sorana Cîrstea (36 de...
Read out all
Ukraine war briefing: Russian diesel exports could return to past levels after Trump deal, Moscow claims – The Guardian
Ukraine war briefing: Russian diesel exports could return to past levels after Trump deal, Moscow claims The Guardian Trump faces growing backlash over...
Read out all