Aaron Rodgers is speaking up.
Entering his 13th NFL season, the former Super Bowl MVP and two-time league MVP is feeling a greater need to weigh in on social issues.
In a revealing interview with ESPN's Mina Kimes, the Green Bay Packers quarterback expressed an interest in joining the players' union and spoke out about some current player issues.
Among the topics discussed was Colin Kaepernick's continued unemployment. The quarterback kneeled during the national anthem last season, and since opting out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers, has yet to be signed by another team.
"I think he should be on a roster right now. I think because of his protests, he's not," said Rodgers, who played against Kaepernick in a 2012 divisional playoff game.
In regard to the lack of NFL players speaking freely on social issues, Rodgers pointed to the lack of guaranteed contracts and the reality that most players can be dropped at any point and time.
"(In the NFL), if you're on the street, you're not getting paid unless you have some sort of bonus that goes into another year. So there's less incentive to keep a guy, which gives you less job security. Less job security means you've got to play the game within the game a little tighter to the vest," Rodgers said.
"There's a fear of job security. If you have a differing opinion, differing sexual orientation, they can get rid of you. So is it better just to be quiet and not ever say anything? And not risk getting cut, with people saying, 'Well, it's because you can't play'?"
Protests during the national anthem have continued into this year's preseason, as a number of players have sat, raised a fist, or kneeled in prayer.
Rodgers has spoken with teammate Martellus Bennett on the subject and expressed his support for his peers.
"I'm going to stand because that's the way I feel about the flag - but I'm also 100 percent supportive of my teammates or any fellow players who are choosing not to," Rodgers said. "They have a battle for racial equality. That's what they're trying to get a conversation started around."
