Yes, Roger Goodell. The same Roger Goodell who has been accused of keeping Colin Kaepernick out of the NFL, the same Roger Goodell who said last year, “we’ve moved on,” after Kaepernick declined the league’s sham of a workout opportunity, said Monday that he welcomes a team signing Kaepernick, in a discussion with ESPN’s Mike Greenberg.
“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.”
It’s difficult to know exactly what to make of Goodell’s statement, and whether it’s just lip service. But the commissioner of the NFL publicly stating that he welcomes Kaepernick getting a job is significant considering the recent history, even if it remains to be seen whether the comments will lead to anything.
Goodell also said he’d support Kaepernick, who has repeatedly stated he wants an NFL job, if he’s off the field.
“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,” Goodell said. “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.”