SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Colin Kaepernick says he has received death threats through social media and other avenues since he began to protest during the national anthem last month.

Kaepernick said Tuesday he has not alerted San Francisco 49ers team security about the threats and understood that could happen once he began his protest over racial oppression and police brutality in the United States.

“To me, if something like that were going to happen, you’ve proved my point,” he said. “It would be loud and clear for everyone why it happened. That would move this movement forward at a greater speed than what it is even now. Granted, I don’t want that to happen. But that’s the realization of what could happen.”

Kaepernick’s protest during the anthem became public last month when he sat during the anthem before a preseason game against Green Bay and later explained his reasoning. He has since kneeled before the Niners’ past three games. The kneeling is meant to show more respect for veterans.

Kaepernick has been joined by several other NFL players, U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe and scores of high school and college players who have picked up the cause.

It has not received universal support, however, and he said he was the target of racial slurs and other insults before last Sunday’s game at Carolina.

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“There’s a lot of racism in this country disguised as patriotism and people want to take everything back to the flag but that’s not what we’re talking about,” he said. “We’re talking about racial discrimination, inequalities and injustices that happen across the nation.”

Kaepernick spoke to one of those cases Tuesday, the shooting of an unarmed black man in Tulsa, Oklahoma, last week. Police video shows 40-year-old Terence Crutcher walking away from the officers and toward his SUV last Friday with his hands in the air. He then approaches the driver’s side of his vehicle, where an officer shocks him with a stun gun and another fatally shoots him.

Officers had been called to the scene to respond to a report of a stalled vehicle.

The officer who shot Crutcher, Betty Shelby, was placed on paid leave.

“His car was broken down, he was looking for help and he got murdered,” Kaepernick said. “That’s a perfect example of what this is about. I think it will be very telling what happens with the officers that killed him because everybody’s eyes will be on this.”

Kaepernick also gave more details about his plans to donate $1 million to organizations supporting his cause of racial equality. He said he has people currently vetting potential charities to determine the proper ones to donate to and will launch a website detailing his donations and how the money is spent.

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He plans to give away $100,000 a month for the next 10 months.

CHARGERS: San Diego signed running back Dexter McCluster to replace the injured Danny Woodhead.

To make room on the roster, the Chargers waived wide receiver-kick returner Isaiah Burse.

McCluster has played six NFL seasons with Kansas City and Tennessee. He was a Pro Bowler in 2013.

Woodhead is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee in Sunday’s victory against Jacksonville.

BEARS: Struggling Chicago might have to get by without quarterback Jay Cutler.

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Coach John Fox said Cutler has a sprained right thumb that does not appear to require surgery and would not rule him out for this weekend’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.

If he is not ready, Brian Hoyer will start.

Cutler topped a long list of players injured in Monday’s 29-14 loss to Philadelphia.

The defense was hit hard, with linebacker Danny Trevathan scheduled for surgery Wednesday morning on a sprained thumb. The Bears were awaiting the results of an MRI on linebacker Lamarr Houston, who suffered a left knee injury that Fox said “appears to be significant.” Nose tackle Eddie Goldman (sprained ankle) left the field on a cart.

BILLS: Running back LeSean McCoy was sued over a Philadelphia nightclub brawl that left two off-duty police officers injured.

The civil suit claims McCoy beat and kicked one officer while he was on the ground and punched another officer in the eye. The suit was filed in Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas and seeks money damages from McCoy, two other men and the nightclub.

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McCoy’s attorney has said he was only trying to break up a fight between the officers and his friends over a $350 bottle of champagne. Police have said the Feb. 7 fight broke out over a misunderstanding about who had bought the bottle.

COWBOYS: Suspended defensive end Randy Gregory dropped an appeal on another substance-abuse violation and now faces a 10-game ban on top of the four games he will already miss.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on his radio show that the NFL Players Association wouldn’t support Gregory’s appeal, making it pointless to pursue. Jones said the labor agreement “boxed him out in having merit to his appeal.”

Gregory slid to the Cowboys at the end of the second round in the 2015 draft after testing positive for marijuana at the NFL combine. According to the labor agreement, four positive marijuana tests can lead to a 10-game suspension.


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