It is a highly symbolic return that is being prepared. Monday, June 16, the boss of the professional league of American football (NFL), Roger Goodell, encouraged the franchises to recruit the quarterback Colin Kaepernick, without team for three years for having put the knee on the ground during the national anthem.

"If he wants to resume his NFL career, then obviously a team will have to make that decision" to hire him, said Roger Goodell to ESPN. "But I would be happy, I support any club that will make this decision and I encourage the clubs to do so."

Kaepernick, 32, has not played since January 1, 2017 and a playoff elimination with the San Francisco 49ers against Seattle. In this season, which started four months earlier, he knelt before the matches to protest against police brutality against blacks.

At least one team has expressed interest

At the end of the contract, he had not been kept by the 49ers, and no club had wished to recruit him. He then came into conflict with the NFL, believing that he was unfairly denied a job, before finding an amicable settlement in February 2019. After which, the league organized a training so that he could convince franchises to hire him. In vain.

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Friday he had received a call from a leader of a team interested in Kaepernick, asking for his advice.

Until the horizon eventually clears for the player, the NFL is willing to work with him to combat racial injustice as it committed to do after the death of George Floyd.

On or off the field

"If his efforts are not concentrated on the ground but he continues to work in this area, we welcome him to our table, to guide us, to help us make the best decisions, on what should be done in communities, "said Roger Goodell.

The latter apologized in early June on behalf of the NFL to players in his league for not having listened to and supported them earlier in the fight against racism, without having directly spoken to Kaepernick.

On Monday, he paid tribute to all the players, he and others, who have risen in recent years against injustice and racial violence. "What they were talking about, what they were protesting against, what they were trying to draw attention to was happening before our eyes. Tragically," he agreed.

With AFP

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