Fact Check: Elon Musk Considering Buying NY Jets To Prevent Kaepernick Return?

Claim:

Elon Musk is considering buying the New York Jets to prevent Colin Kaepernick from joining the team.

Rating:

Originated as Satire ( About this rating? )

In mid-May 2024, Facebook pages containing what appeared to be spam links gave new life to the claim that Elon Musk had expressed an interest in purchasing the National Football League's (NFL) New York Jets as a way to thwart ex-quarterback and civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick from joining the team:

There was no truth to this claim, and the controversy it referenced was several months north of being relevant in May 2024. Prior to its use as clickbait, the claim came from the satirical website SpaceXMania:

In a September 2023 story on that website filed under the category "satire," SpaceXMania wrote :

It was during a Twitter Spaces conversation that Musk made the surprise announcement. Responding to a question from a user about his thoughts on Kaepernick potentially joining the New York Jets, Musk replied, "I'm seriously considering buying the Jets to ensure that doesn't happen."

That website carries a disclaimer stating that the story is satire and not meant to be taken seriously:

[Stories] under the category "SATIRE" are satirical in nature and are not meant to be taken seriously. These articles are meant to be humorous and are often entirely made up. We make no claim that the information presented in these articles is true or accurate.

At the time of the original claim, Kaepernick — who retired from the NFL in 2016 following conservative backlash to his kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial inequality — had expressed a desire to return to professional football via the Jets:

As of this reporting, Kaepernick is not employed by the Jets and Musk has not expressed an interest in the team. Because the claim is being spread without links to its original source, and because the original source carries a satire disclaimer, Snopes rates the claim as Originated as Satire.

Sources:

BREAKING: Elon Musk Ponders Jets Acquisition to Prevent Colin Kaepernick's Inclusion in the Team. 30 Sept. 2023, https://spacexmania.com/breaking-elon-musk-ponders-jets-acquisition-to-prevent-colin-kaepernicks-inclusion-in-the-team12/ .

Disclaimer - SpaceXMania. 3 Jan. 2021, https://spacexmania.com/disclaimer/ .

Post, Kevin B. Blackistone |. Special to The Washington. "Has Colin Kaepernick Been Blackballed by the NFL?" The Denver Post, 24 Mar. 2017, https://www.denverpost.com/2017/03/24/colin-kaepernick-blackballed-nfl/ .