(WFRV) — Brett Favre said he would compare Colin Kaepernick to Pat Tillman, according to a recent TMZ Sports interview.

Kaepernick has been in the spotlight recently following protests nationwide in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis while in police custody. Kaepernick hasn’t played in the NFL since 2016 after he began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality.

“I suppose that [Kaepernick has] helped his cause tremendously and he’s deserving of much praise and respect because it’s not easy for a guy his age — black, 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 explained.

He went on to say he would compare Kaepernick to Pat Tillman, who left the NFL to enlist in the Army after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In 2004, Tillman was killed in Afghanistan by friendly fire.

“We regard [Tillman] as a hero, so I assume that hero status will be stamped with Kaepernick as well,” Favre said.

During the interview, Favre added that teams should consider bringing Kaepernick back onto the field.

“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,” Favre said. “I thought he was a dynamic player when he was playing in his prime. I mean, he’s still young and hasn’t been hit in several years. So there’s no reason to think he’s lost that much of his step.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recently said he is encouraging teams to sign Kaepernick.