- A Colin Kaepernick documentary, originally planned with Spike Lee and ESPN, was shelved due to creative differences.
- Finding a platform to distribute the documentary may be challenging because of the NFL and political sensitivities.
- The docuseries on Kaepernick is needed because he’s such an historic figure.
No, that’s not a knock on magnificent filmmaker Spike Lee, who seemed so destined when he struck a deal in 2022 with the exiled NFL quarterback and ESPN. Lee, his creative edge aligned with purpose, was just the one to do justice to the story of the man behind the most consequential protest by any athlete of this generation.
Or so it seemed. Then the project, which was close to completion, was shelved. Apparently, it’s not all on Lee or Kaepernick with ESPN (prominent NFL partner and all) squarely in the crosshairs.
What a shame. When news broke in mid-August, like a year after the fact, that the docuseries was off, ESPN issued a statement citing “certain creative differences.” Yet Lee, prevented from discussing many details due to a non-disclosure agreement, told Business Insider there are no plans to take the project to air on another platform.
Which brings us to the point: This is a great opportunity for someone to pick up the ball.
Regardless of what factors sealed the documentary’s fate with ESPN – and it’s fair to wonder about the potential for retaliation from the Trump administration, the relationship between the network and the NFL, which recently acquired a 10% stake in the network – Kaepernick’s story still needs to be told in what promises to be a compelling documentary.
After all, 2026 will mark the 10-year anniversary of Kaepernick’s national anthem protests – which brought attention to police brutality against people of color but cost a talented quarterback his NFL career.
First, his NFL career was squashed because he took a courageous stand. Now, the backtracking on the documentary makes me wonder whether there are forces that similarly want to suppress the narrative flowing from his dramatic mark on history.
Kaepernick’s voice, essential to any documentary, still needs to be heard.
Hello, Ryan Coogler and Ezra Edelman. Those are two Academy Award-winning filmmakers who come immediately to mind for a short wish list. They would undoubtedly knock a Kaepernick documentary out of the park. While Coogler blew up years ago with “Black Panther,” before that he produced a fascinating documentary about the 1989 World Series in the Bay Area that was halted by the Loma Prieta Earthquake. And he is executive producer for “Katrina: Race Against Time,” a riveting, five-part National Geographic documentary that began streaming recently as the 20-year anniversary of the devastating hurricane that toppled New Orleans looms. Edelman produced and directed the eight-part docuseries, “O.J.: Made In America,” among other impressive works.
And Edelman knows something about a major project getting scrapped. His docuseries on Prince, which was to air on Netflix, will never be released, blocked by the legendary musician’s estate.
Kaepernick, who in 2020 signed with Disney for rights to a docuseries, hand-picked Lee as his director. But now what? We may never know the extent of their creative conflicts. Reportedly, Kaepernick may have had the sense his story – which is how the docuseries was presented in the original announcements — was overshadowed by Lee’s vision to convey a larger theme about police brutality. Maybe that was the key factor, maybe not. Maybe they resolved the differences to the point of moving forward. Maybe not. Non-disclosure, you know. In any event, the “certain creative differences” also seemingly involved ESPN, which ultimately pulled the plug on the doc.
The climate has certainly changed since 2020, when corporate America (and by extension some media entities) embraced the “racial reckoning” that occurred after George Floyd was killed on a Minneapolis street at the hands of police – ironically tragic that it illustrated the issues that Kaepernick protested over. Back then, the climate was such that telling stories about the Black experience in the media flowed with the “reckoning.”
Not so much now, amid a climate where some (if not many companies) try to avoid attention from the Trump administration, which has launched so many attacks on DEI, media entities, political opponents and then some. I’m guessing ESPN doesn’t want that smoke.
Sure, it is said – now – that the decision on the Kaepernick docuseries came about a year ago, which would have been before the Presidential election. I found it interesting, though, when ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro was asked during a live interview last week on CNBC if the decision to scrap the documentary was the result of not wanting to anger the Trump administration.
“No, absolutely not,” Pitaro began his response.
Then he went straight to what seemed like an obligatory talking point, adding, “We made that decision many months before the NFL announcements.”
Hmmm. The question was about the Trump administration, not the NFL.
Then again, ESPN’s flow with the NFL is so sensitive in this space, too. The NFL is adamant that it didn’t have a role in scrapping the documentary (and, no, the NFL wasn’t jumping on the table demanding that ESPN move forward with the doc). And NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell assured ESPN staff during a Town Hall meeting on Aug. 13, via Zoom, that the league, despite its 10% equity stake, would not get involved with its journalistic independence, which presumably extends to myriad content. Goodell also had similar emphasis in speaking to CBS staff in New York the previous day.
Still, that’s always going to be in the air when it comes to a (potential) Kaepernick documentary. Even if another ultra-credible producer starts from scratch and creates a remarkable docuseries … on which platform will it be distributed?
Remember, Kaepernick’s story can’t be told without Trump and even more so, the NFL, cast as major villains. Kaepernick, unable to land another NFL job – despite his resume and the perpetual need for quarterbacks in the league — sued the NFL for collusion. That the league settled said something about the merits of his case.
Now think of all the media partners doing business with the NFL. In addition to ESPN and ABC, there’s NBC (and Peacock), Fox, CBS, Amazon, Netflix and YouTube. And maybe at some point, AppleTV. Given the politics of big business, I’d be shocked if any of those partners, or potential partners, would embrace a Kaepernick documentary about now.
Sure, there are some non-NFL attached entities out there. Think PBS or Vice. The point is that the challenges for a Kaepernick documentary to get maximum exposure extend beyond the creativity of the content.
Then again, the drama attached to the documentary adds another layer to the saga.
A documentary that somehow, in some way, by somebody, needs to be done.
Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow on social media: On X: @JarrettBell
On Bluesky: jarrettbell.bsky.social