Aaron Rodgers Says Colin Kaepernick Should Be On An NFL Team 'Right Now'

Colin Kaepernick’s prolonged unemployment has caught the attention of arguably the NFL’s best quarterback.

“I think he should be on a roster right now,” Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers told ESPN the magazine in an article posted Wednesday. “I think because of his protests, he’s not.”

Kaepernick has been unable to land a job since opting out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers in March. The move followed a tumultuous season for Kaepernick in which he refused to stand for the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality. He sparked national debate and inspired other athletes to follow suit ― a trend that has continued into the NFL’s preseason following the violent clashes involving white supremacists in Charlottesville.

Kaepernick managed to have a pretty good season for a bad team, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has insisted Kaepernick isn’t being blackballed for for his demonstrations. He said all 32 teams have made a “football decision” to not sign him. Jesse Jackson, former NFL coach Tony Dungy and others would disagree ― as would the two-time NFL MVP-winning QB. Rodgers told ESPN it would be “ignorant” to believe that his former QB rival’s controversial stance hasn’t contributed to his unemployment.

As for his own opinion of the protests, Rodgers told ESPN: “I’m gonna stand because that’s the way I feel about the flag ― but I’m also 100 percent supportive of my teammates or any fellow players who are choosing not to.”