Congressman Richmond: I Stand with Kaepernick, NFL Blackball Is Unfair

A powerful U.S. congressmen is calling out NFL owners on behalf of Colin Kaepernick -- he clearly feels the QB is being punished for speaking his conscience ... and "it's unfair."

TMZ Sports spoke with Cedric Richmond -- a democrat from Louisiana who's also the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. He's also a big football fan.

So, when we asked how he felt about Kaepernick still being unemployed -- the congressman didn't hold back.

"I think it's unfair. I think that he has a lot of talent. He was the starting QB in the Super Bowl and he's a great athlete. And the fact that he spoke up means he's a great person and he spoke his conscience."

"I don't think we should penalize people in this country for doing that."

He continued, "As I look around the NFL at some backup quarterbacks, it's clear that his talent is superior to a lot of people who are on teams already."

"I would hope that people would give him a chance and sign him and see what he has to offer."

Richmond concludes, "We should not penalize somebody for exercising their 1st amendment right."