Brett Favre compares Colin Kaepernick to ‘hero’ Pat Tillman

Brett Favre considers Colin Kaepernick to be in lofty company.

The Hall of Fame quarterback mentioned Kaepernick will get “hero status” for his willingness to sacrifice his NFL job to protest racial and social injustice, comparing him to Pat Tillman — the previous Cardinals safety who remaining football to be a part of the Military Rangers soon after Sept. 11.

“I can only think of suitable off the leading of my head, Pat Tillman is yet another guy that did one thing identical,” Favre advised TMZ Sporting activities. “And, we regard him as a hero. So, I’d believe that hero status will be stamped with Kaepernick as well.”

Tillman was killed in Afghanistan in 2004 by friendly hearth. He performed four NFL seasons for the Cardinals just after remaining taken in the seventh round of the 1998 draft before giving up his NFL dreams to struggle for his country.

Kapernick was in his sixth year with the 49ers in 2016 when he commenced kneeling during the nationwide anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality. He was introduced soon after that period and has still to sign yet another contract, filing a grievance in 2017 that the NFL and its entrepreneurs were being colluding to hold him out of the league.

“It’s not uncomplicated for a guy his age — black or white, Hispanic, whatsoever — to quit something that you’ve normally dreamed of carrying out, and put it on hold, perhaps without end, for some thing that you believe in,” Favre reported.

In light of the developing protests from systemic racism and law enforcement brutality close to the nation right after the law enforcement-related dying of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Kaepernick has a short while ago been thrust back again into the spotlight. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell instructed ESPN very last week he would help and motivate a crew signing Kaepernick. Favre thinks the 32-calendar year-previous could still participate in if given the opportunity.

“I considered he was a dynamic participant when he was taking part in in his key,” Favre stated. “He’s continue to younger and has not been hit in a number of decades, so there’s no rationale to imagine that he’s dropped that substantially of a step.”