- The Washington Times - Monday, December 11, 2017

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday that free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick is not being blackballed by the league’s 32 teams. 

Kaepernick filed a grievance against the league in October for collusion. The quarterback has been out of the NFL since March, opting out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers.

Appearing on CNBC, Goodell said he believed Kaepernick was not being blackballed. 

“Every club’s got to make those decisions,” Goodell said. “They make those decisions based on a lot of factors that are best for their football team. And when they do that, that’s what’s in the best interest.”

Kaepernick, who was the first player to kneel during the national anthem to protest racial injustice, has largely remained silent in his time out of the league, but has continued his charitable causes.

He was recently awarded Sports Illustrated’s “Muhammad Ali Legacy Award,” which honors athletes who promote change. 

Goodell also maintained that he would welcome a conversation with Kaepernick to talk about the issue.

“We’ve always invited Colin to come over,” Goodell said. “He’s welcome to come over and meet at any point and time. We had an open door on that.”

• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.

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