NFL notes: Jaguars owner says he’d support signing Colin Kaepernick

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan says he would be open to signing free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Speaking to the team’s flagship radio station, Khan responded “absolutely” when asked Thursday whether he would support signing Kaepernick if the team’s front office wanted to do it.

Khan’s comments were not recorded, just relayed via Twitter.

According to 1010 XL, Khan said that while he would not have knelt during the national anthem to protest social injustice in the United States the way Kaepernick did, the billionaire businessman respects the quarterback’s right to express his beliefs.

Tom Coughlin, the team’s executive vice president, has final say on personnel decisions. Coughlin declined comment Friday through a team spokesman.

Kaepernick remains unsigned after opting out of his contract with the San Francisco 49ers. There have been for Kaepernick and many of those who support him believe the NFL is punishing the player for refusing to stand during the anthem in an effort to protest police brutality against blacks. More than 1,000 people crowded the steps of the NFL’s midtown Manhattan offices Wednesday to demand Kaepernick be signed before the start of the season.

Kaepernick has 72 touchdown passes, 30 interceptions and 13 rushing scores in six seasons, better numbers than Jaguars quarterbacks Blake Bortles and Chad Henne.

Khan’s comments came before Jacksonville’s third preseason game, a 24-23 loss to the Carolina Panthers that did little, if anything, to settle the team’s quarterback competition.

In other NFL news:

-- The San Francisco 49ers have released outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks after eight seasons with the team. The 49ers cut Brooks because they determined he would not make the roster and wanted to give him a head start on finding a new team. The 33-year-old Brooks signed with San Francisco in 2008 and was the longest-tenured defensive player on the roster. He had 51 1/2 sacks in 131 career games with the Niners. Eli Harold had passed Brooks on the depth chart and will start at linebacker.

-- The Tennessee Titans don’t know whether running back DeMarco Murray will make his preseason debut Sunday against the Chicago Bears at Nissan Stadium. Titans coach Mike Mularkey said Friday that “I’ll make that decision after I watch the tape today. Mularkey added that “I felt that way at this time last week too and by game time I made a decision.” Murray has been dealing with a hamstring issue. He returned to practice last week for the joint sessions against Carolina but didn’t appear in the Titans’ 34-27 preseason victory over the Panthers.

-- Longtime general manager and personnel administrator Bobby Beathard is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the contributors category. Beathard helped build strong teams in football stops in Kansas City (1966-67), Miami (1972-77), Washington (1978-1988) and San Diego (1990-99). He also worked for the Atlanta Falcons (1968-1971). To be elected next February, Beathard must receive the same 80 percent voting support he got from the contributors committee when the entire 48-member selection committee votes in Minneapolis. Previously, linebacker Robert Brazile and offensive tackle Jerry Kramer were chosen as finalists by the seniors committee.