Colin Kaepernick Looks Shredded, Shirtless on 'Men's Health' Cover

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback turned civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick appears on the cover of the latest issue of Men's Health. And although it's been seven years since the 35-year-old last played in the NFL—where he earned near-constant headlines after taking a knee during the national anthem to call attention to racial injustice and police brutality—he's looking in as good of shape than ever.

Kaepernick landed the cover as part of the 35 strongest men of the last 35 years to celebrate the magazine's 35th anniversary, "spotlighting the men who embody strength in all its forms."

In an Instagram post, Kaepernick said that he was "grateful" to be a part of the issue. "It’s dope to share space with the other incredible men whose strengths show up in different ways!" he captioned the photoshoot, in which his totally ripped abs and arms are on full display. "Strong people build strong futures! Let’s get to building!"

Although Kap hasn't played with the NFL since he became a free agent after the 2016 season with the 49ers, he explained in a recent letter to New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas that he's kept up with his training regimen in the interim.

"Unlike many of the veteran QB's that have been named in the media, I've never retired or stopped training," he wrote, in a plea to lead the team's practice squad after new starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered an Achilles injury in the first game of the season. "My training schedule has remained the same for 6 years; Monday through Friday, 5am-8am training on the field and in the weight room."

"I've kept this training schedule without failure for the past 6 years, in hopes that an opportunity will present itself," he added.