Panthers’ Thomas Davis weighs in on Colin Kaepernick as a potential teammate

Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis has never been afraid to take a stand on issues.

And Davis told SI Now’s Maggie Gray he would roll out the welcome mat for Colin Kaepernick if Panthers quarterback Cam Newton sustained an setback in his return from shoulder surgery.

“For me as a player, we would definitely love to have a guy like Kaepernick because we know what he has to offer to this game,” Davis said during the interview with Gray. “We know that he’s a guy that can come in and can play right away. He’s proven that he can lead his team to the Super Bowl. And if you look at his numbers, he’s had some pretty decent numbers from a quarterback standpoint.”

“And at the end of the day that’s what you want. You want to focus in on football,” Davis added. “There’s a lot that’s going on in the outside so I commend Kaep on raising the awareness for the social injustices going on in this world. So I would definitely welcome him as a teammate.”

Kaepernick has become a lightning rod for controversy since he began protesting the national anthem last season to raise awareness of racial injustice and police brutality.

Kaepernick, a free agent, has yet to find work, a development that has prompted calls for action from everyone from the NAACP to baseball great Henry Aaron.

The Ravens showed interest in Kaepernick after Joe Flacco hurt his back, but didn’t sign him.

And while Davis may be open to the idea of signing Kaepernick if Newton were to get injured, it’s doubtful Panthers owner Jerry Richardson feels the same way.

This story was originally published August 23, 2017 at 5:02 PM with the headline "Panthers’ Thomas Davis weighs in on Colin Kaepernick as a potential teammate."