Brett Favre Believes Colin Kaepernick Deserves a Second Chance in the NFL

Green Bay Packers legend Brett Favre believes it's time the NFL gave Colin Kaepernick a second chance four years after the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback last played professional football.

Kaepernick has been persona non grata in the NFL since he began a peaceful protest against police brutality and racial discrimination by kneeling during the national anthem in 2016.

The wave of protests demanding an end to racial discrimination sparked by the death of George Floyd on May 25, however, have thrust the former Nevada alumnus back into the spotlight and Favre suggested he deserved the chance to prove himself in the NFL again.

"I think from a football sense, I can't imagine him being that far out of shape or that far out of touch with football that he doesn't deserve a shot," the Hall of Fame quarterback told TMZ Sports on Sunday.

"I thought he was a dynamic player when he was playing in his prime. He's still young and hasn't been hit in several years, so there's no reason to think that he's lost that much of a step."

Kaepernick's decision to kneel transformed him into a global icon, but split public opinion in the U.S. and contributed to him being ostracized by the league.

He last played in the NFL in the 2016 season, before becoming a free agent.

When he was not offered a tryout by any of the 32 franchises, he sued the owners for colluding to keep him out of the league, before reaching a settlement with the NFL in February 2019.

In December last year, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said the league had "moved on" from Kaepernick, after the 32-year-old moved a workout the NFL had organized a month earlier.

Last week, however, Goodell adopted a far more conciliatory tone, encouraging teams to sign the former 49ers quarterback.

"If he wants to resume his career in the NFL, then obviously it's going to take a team to make that decision," the NFL commissioner told Mike Greenberg of ESPN.

"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."

Goodell's words were the strongest signal yet that the tide in the NFL may be turning and came after Seattle Seahawks head coach Peter Carroll revealed he had received a phone call from a team enquiring about Kaepernick.

Last week, Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn said teams would be "crazy" not to look at the former 49er and even President Donald Trump said he would support Kaepernick's return.

Trump has been a vocal critic of Kaepernick's protests, going as far as suggesting team owners should fire players who kneel during the anthem in the past.

In an interview with Washington TV station WJLA, however, the president was surprisingly far more open to Kaepernick returning to the NFL.

"If he deserves it, he should," Trump said.

"If he has the playing ability. He started off great, and then he didn't end up very great in terms of a player. He was terrific in his rookie year. I think he was very good in his second year. And then something happened. So his playing wasn't up to snuff.

"The answer is absolutely I would. As far as kneeling, I would love to see him get another shot. But obviously he has to be able to play well. If he can't play well, I think it would be very unfair."