DAVIE, Fla. — As the N.F.L. season gets underway, Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback who has not taken a snap in nearly two years, is back at center stage, his presence looming over the league because of Nike’s dramatic ad campaign featuring his willingness to sacrifice his career for his political beliefs.
All but a few players have returned to standing or raising fists during the playing of the national anthem, but Kenny Stills, a wide receiver on the Miami Dolphins, continues to kneel and has quietly become the on-field face of the movement Kaepernick started in 2016.