49ers QB Colin Kaepernick to appear on TIME cover as police protests heat up

SAN FRANCISCO -- The tense times in Charlotte come as scrutiny of police brutality and racial equality across our country may be at an all-time high. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been closely following the events in Charlotte and retweeted several first-hand accounts of the protests there on Wednesday night.

Americans have seen Kaepernick's protest during the national anthem and soon they will see him on the cover of a well-known magazine.

TIME tweeted a video of its October 3 cover featuring the 49ers quarterback taking a knee. It's titled "The Perilous Fight. That, of course, is a line from our national anthem.

On Thursday his teammates told reporters that they're glad his message is resonating with so many people. But inside Levi's Stadium, the focus is still on football.

The full title on the issue is, "The Perilous Fight: National anthem protests led by Colin Kaepernick are fueling the debate about privilege, pride, and patriotism."

"It's an issue that's at the forefront of our country," said 49ers Coach Chip Kelly. "It needs to be addressed and it needs to be taken care of because what's going on is not right. I think again he's shedding light on the situation that is heinous."

Niners safety Eric Reid has joined the protest. He says the cover story is a great thing because it means people are listening.

"Me personally, football is a game," he said. "The things that we are talking about is real life. You know, people are losing family members to things that are just senseless.

Kaepernick first refused to stand during the national anthem back in August to protest racial injustice.

Since then he's been hit with criticism about his patriotism, including death threats, but has also seen a growing wave of support.

The Oakland Unified School District Honor Band took a knee at Tuesday night's Athletics game.

Seattle Seahawk cornerback Richard Sherman refused to take questions at his weekly press conference following police shootings in Tulsa and Charlotte.

"I think people are still missing the point," said Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. "You know, the reason these guys are kneeling and the reason why we're locking arms is to bring people together and make people aware this is not right."

Kaepernick has not commented on the magazine cover. A new poll has him as the most disliked player in the league. But his protest shows no signs of stopping, and the quarterback still plans to donate $1 million to charities to further his cause.

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