Goodell: Sign Colin Kaepernick

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he supports and encourages teams to sign quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The 32-yr old Kaepernick has not played since the 2016 season when as a member of the San Francisco 49ers he kneeled during the national anthem to protest racial inequality.

In a conversation with Mike Greenberg for ESPN's The Return of Sports special, Goodell said it would be up to a team to sign Kaepernick and said he welcomes Kaepernick's voice on discussions of social issues.

"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. "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.

In Monday's interview, he praised Kaepernick and others for raising issues such as racism and injustice.

"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 of why the NFL chose to speak up. "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."