*During a conversation with ESPN’s “The Return of Sports” special, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stunned many fans of the sport when he encouraged teams to sign quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
The former San Francisco 49er has not played since the 2016 season, when he kneeled during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality.
In a conversation with Mike Greenberg, Goodell flipped the script on his previous stance about marrying social issues with the league, saying he would welcome Kaepernick’s voice on discussions of social issues, ESPN reports.Â
“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.”
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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he supports and encourages teams to sign quarterback Colin Kaepernick. https://t.co/eXiEM4UAyv
— ESPN (@espn) June 15, 2020
Goodell added, “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,” he said. “But I hope we’re at a point now where everybody’s committed to making long-term, sustainable change.”
Earlier this month, Goodell added his voice to the chorus of white executives and CEO’s who claim they’re concerned about racial inequality. The comments come amid civil unrest over the police killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery by two white supremacists
Several NFL players ripped into Goodell after he released a video apologizing on behalf of the NFL for not listening to players like Kaepernick over concerns about race relations and injustice.Â
“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.”
Scroll up to hear/watch him tell it via the YouTube clip above.Â
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