Favre: Kaepernick deserves chance to return to NFL

Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre believes Colin Kaepernick merits an opportunity to play 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," he told TMZ Sports.

Kaepernick has attracted renewed attention in the NFL following the beginning of nationwide protests for racial justice in May. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has said he encourages teams to sign Kaepernick, who hasn't played since 2016 but has remained in the public eye while bringing awareness to social injustice.

"I thought he was a dynamic player when he was playing in his prime," Favre said. "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."

The legendary Green Bay Packers signal-caller also said Kaepernick's willingness to postpone his NFL career for a greater cause reminds him of the late Pat Tillman, who left the league in 2002 to enlist in the U.S. Army.

"It's not easy for a guy his age - black or white, Hispanic, whatever - to stop something that you've always dreamed of doing, and put it on hold, maybe forever, for something that you believe in," Favre said. "I can only think of - right off the top of my head - Pat Tillman is another guy that did something similar. And we regard him as a hero. So, I'd assume that hero status will be stamped with Kaepernick as well."