Many in the NFL have begun to rally behind out of work San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick, while decrying team owners as “cowards,” or “racists,” for not signing the anthem-protesting quarterback. However, some sources are now saying that Kaepernick actually turned down a team’s offer in order to incite a racially driven media backlash that would yield the controversial quarterback more money.

A source to the Daily Caller, “claims Kaep himself has turned down at least one contract in the hopes of stirring up a media frenzy that eventually leads to a more lucrative deal for the 27-year-old vet.

“Kaepernick allegedly doesn’t want to make “backup money” and specifically instructed his representative team not to sign one contract offered at the league’s minimum rate of $900,000 per year for a seventh-year player.”

The Daily Caller’s source also claims that the controversial player fired the sports agency which has represented him since he came in the league. In their place, Kaepernick seems to be taking advice from his outspoken girlfriend, Nessa Diab.

Diab recently sparked criticism herself when she posted a photo to Twitter that seemed to attack the owner of the only team currently considering Kaepernick. The photo compared Baltimore Ravens Owner Steve Bisciotti to the racist character portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in Django Unchained. The photo also compared Raven legend Ray Lewis to the house slave character portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson, in the same film.

According to the Daily Caller’s NFL source, this whole situation has gone to Kaepernick’s head.

“Colin thinks he’s fighting a much higher battle than he is,” the source said. “He views himself as a race messiah.”

Some race activists are hoping to use Colin Kaepernick’s unemployment as a tool to raise more racism claims. For instance, activist Dr. Harry Edwards, who has consulted with Kaepernick, threatened that if Kaepernick didn’t end up on a team this year, there would be trouble.

In an interview on Sirius XM, Edwards said, “…I fully expect one [team to sign him], because it’s in the best interest of the league to have him on a team.” But Edwards went on to warn that if Kaepernick did not get hired, the NFL would have a problem on its hands.

“You can’t do that. You can’t just up and write off black protests as if this were 1950,” Edwards said.

But if the sources are correct that Kaepernick has turned down at least one offer to use his status as a race protester to bargain for more money, that would certainly call into question the integrity of his protest. Making him less the put upon and aggrieved black NFL player standing up for racial justice, and more of a calculating and arrogant agitator using his status for personal gain.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.