Controversial quarterback Colin Kaepernick, as he embarks on an uncertain NFL future, has decided to abandon his protest of kneeling during the national anthem because it’s a distraction, according to ESPN.

Kaepernick, sources told ESPN, said he fears continuing to kneel would direct attention away from the positive social change he believes he has cultivated or the national discussion on race and inequality he sparked with his dramatic gesture during the 2016 season.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick told NFL Network back in August, after he was spotted sitting on the bench during the playing of the anthem before a preseason game. “To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

Kaepernick soon switched to kneeling, and many other athletes across all levels of sports followed his lead.

“I’m going to continue to stand with the people that are being oppressed,” Kaepernick said at the time. “To me, this is something that has to change. When there’s significant change and I feel that flag represents what it’s supposed to represent, and this country is representing people the way that it’s supposed to, I’ll stand.”

Now Kaepernick again will stand for “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which coincides with the 29-year-old hiring new agents and planning to opt out of his contract with the 49ers to become a free agent. His divisive persona could be a factor in his pursuit of a new job as an inconsistent journeyman quarterback.

The 49ers, who do not have a quarterback on their roster, have not ruled out re-signing Kaepernick.

“We both agreed that under the current construct it wasn’t going to work out,’’ said John Lynch, the 49ers’ first-year general manager said Thursday at the NFL combine. “But we said let’s not close the door and we had some good jokes. Once he was gone, we weren’t going to have anyone, and so obviously, yes, as he hits free agency ,that’s something that we’ll keep our eyes open and we want him to keep us in mind as well. So, it’s something that we left that door open in a very real and positive way.”

Kaepernick has pledged to donate $1 million to charities benefiting the underprivileged, through his Colin Kaepernick Foundation, in an ongoing set of 10 monthly installments of $100,000.

Additional reporting by Paul Schwartz