Total Pro Sports
Spike Lee’s ESPN documentary about former football player Colin Kaepernick was made last year.
His multi-part documentary series for ESPN Films about the former NFL quarterback, who sparked a national debate when he protested racial injustice nearly a decade ago, will not be released, the filmmaker and ESPN said.
Towards the end of his NFL career as quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick knelt during football games in protest of police brutality against minorities. Many experts believed his political activism was the key reason teams were wary of signing him.
Lee told Reuters on Friday that the series was not going to be released.
“It’s not coming out. That’s all I can say,” Lee said.
Spike Lee confirmed that an ESPN Films project on Colin Kaepernick will not proceed following "creative differences" between Lee and ESPN. pic.twitter.com/w56Pi03qCt
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 17, 2025
He promptly pointed to a nondisclosure agreement when asked to disclose more information: “I can’t. I signed a nondisclosure. I can’t talk about it.”
Spike made it clear that he won’t try to sell the project surrounding Colin Kaepernick’s story to other platforms. “I’ve moved on,” he said.
Now, ESPN has something to say regarding the situation.
The news that Spike Lee’s ESPN documentary about former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick is being scrapped shocked millions across the country.
Kaepernick, who is still trying to play in the NFL in 2025, suited up for the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2016. In 2016, he ignited a national debate by kneeling during the U.S. national anthem to protest systemic racism and police brutality.
The 37-year-old athlete has not played in the NFL since that season.
ESPN’s docuseries on Kaepernick was supposed to highlight his career with the 49ers. Instead, it will never be shown.
ESPN confirmed the news in a statement.
“ESPN, Colin Kaepernick, and Spike Lee have collectively decided to no longer proceed with this project as a result of certain creative differences,” the network said in a statement.
“Despite not reaching finality, we appreciate all the hard work and collaboration that went into this film.”
