Commish, NFL would ‘welcome’ back Kaepernick
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he encourages a team to sign former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been out of the league since he protested police brutality and systemic racism during the 2016 season.
“Well, listen, if he wants to resume his career in the NFL, then obviously it’s going to take a team to make that decision,” Goodell said in an interview with ESPN’s Mike Greenberg Monday night. “But I welcome that, support a club making that decision and encourage them to do that.
“If his efforts are not on the field but continuing to work in this space, we welcome him to that table and to help us, guide us, help us make better decisions about the kinds of things that need to be done in the communities. We have invited him in before, and we want to make sure that everybody’s welcome at that table and trying to help us deal with some very complex, difficult issues that have been around for a long time.”
Kaepernick has naturally been a hot topic since the NFL officially put its weight behind the Black Lives Matter movement weeks ago. The NFL posted a video in which Goodell was apologetic for the way the NFL has handled protests over the past few years, but didn’t mention Kaepernick by name.
Now, Goodell has at least put his name behind supporting Kaepernick’s reentrance into the NFL.
“What they were talking about and what they were protesting and what they were trying to bring attention to was playing out right in front of us, and tragically,” Goodell said. “And so all of us saw that, and it was difficult for all of us. And so that was an important point for all of us.” The NFL recently pledged $250 million toward fighting the same social injustices Kaepernick protested four years ago.
“I hope we’re at a point now where everybody’s committed to making long-term, sustainable change.”