Colin Kaepernick began protesting police brutality by sitting during the national anthem during the 2016 NFL preseason. A timeline of his career shows he signed a $126 million extension in 2014 before being benched in 2015 and requesting a trade in early 2016. Photographer Jennifer Lee Chan captured the first viral image of him sitting at the back of the bench, which some initially interpreted as pouting over his lost starting role.