Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre thinks Colin Kaepernick will reach a “hero status” in football similar to that of Pat Tillman.
In a video from TMZ Sports published Sunday, Favre was asked if he thinks Kaepernick has reached the stature of a figure such as Jackie Robinson or Muhammad Ali and if he belongs in the Hall of Fame based on his work on and off the field.
“I can only think of — right off the top of my head — Pat Tillman’s another guy who did something similar, and we regard him as a hero,” Favre said. “So I’d assume that hero status will be stamped with Kaepernick as well.”
Tillman, a safety for the Arizona Cardinals, chose to leave the NFL for the U.S. Army in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001. He was killed in 2004 by friendly fire while deployed in Afghanistan.
Kaepernick, 32, spent six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers but has not played in the NFL since 2016, when he started kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice in the United States.
“… 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.
Kaepernick, who has continued to express a desire to return to the NFL, reached a settlement with the league concerning a collusion grievance last year.
Favre said Kaepernick was a dynamic player in his prime and, considering his age, deserves another shot in the league.
“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,” the Green Bay Packers legend said. “… And 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.”