Goodell encourages teams to sign Kaepernick

Commissioner Roger Goodell would like to see Colin Kaepernick back in the league.

"If he wants to resume his career in the NFL, then obviously it's gonna take a team to make that decision," Goodell said on ESPN's "The Return of Sports" broadcast Monday. "But I welcome that, support a club making that decision, and encourage them to do that."

Kaepernick hasn't played in the NFL since the 2016 season when he began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality.

Speculation of a potential return for the free-agent quarterback has gained some steam since Goodell declared the league was "wrong for not listening to NFL players" when they sought to peacefully protest. The Seattle Seahawks were the last team to bring in Kaepernick for a visit, and head coach Pete Carroll said last week that a club called to gather information.

Goodell insisted Kaepernick is welcome to help guide the league on social issues if he's not interested in returning to the field.

"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."