NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is no longer silent or ambivalent on the subject of Colin Kaepernick signing with an NFL team.
In fact, he encourages it.
In an interview with ESPN’s Mike Greenberg, Goodell said that a Kaepernick signing is something that he would “welcome.”
“Well, listen, if he wants to resume his career in the NFL, then obviously it’s gonna 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.
“But I hope we’re at a point now where everybody’s committed to making long-term, sustainable change.”
It’s interesting that Goodell left open the possibility of Kaepernick working on the league’s various social justice initiatives. Given the media frenzy any Kaepernick signing would create, Goodell may even prefer that the league’s original anthem protester confine his services to Madison Avenue, as opposed to the field.
While there are probably several teams that would be willing to sign Kaepernick, no one would want to have to cut him. Any team that brought him in would have to essentially ensure he has a roster spot. Because the level of chaos that would ensue if Kaepernick were brought in for a workout and cut, would be extremely undesirable.
That also makes the situation problematic. With the draft and free agency already completed, most teams already have a very good idea of who their two quarterbacks are going to be.
In any event, there’s a very real possibility, almost a likelihood, that someone will sign Kaepernick this year.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn