“I’m not going to prejudge what gets to my desk,” President Barack Obama told CNN’s Jake Tapper in an interview that aired in part Friday on “New Day,” with clips airing Thursday and Friday on “The Lead.”

The president also said he believes “we have a good chance” of getting immigration reform, but said more can be done if Congress can break through some of the gridlock.

He reiterated that he supported the Senate bill, which included a “very long” process to earning citizenship.

Obama said he was encouraged by both Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other House Republicans, naming Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, who he said “really do want to get a serious immigration reform bill done.”

“They’ve been willing to say what they’re against, not so much what they’re for,” the president said of the House Republican Caucus.

“The fact that they’re for something, I think, is progress,” he added.

( Also on POLITICO: House leaders sell immigration blueprint)

He praised Boehner and others who he said “seem to recognize” that coming to some agreement on those who were born in the country, but don’t have the right papers, are not punished would make the country stronger.

The president also said that immigration reform needs to be a “serious conversation” that also includes those who stand to be directly affected by it, adding that the top concern for many families is deportation.

With the growing concern of the security and possible threats at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Sochi, the president did not discourage people from traveling to the games, but acknowledged the risks.

“If you want to go to the Olympics, you should go to the Olympics,” the president said, adding that there are always risks involved with events like these, citing the Boston Marathon bombing last April. He also said it is important for those traveling to get in contact with the State Department and be aware of any safety measures to take.

He said he will always feel better when this type of event is held in the U.S. because “we have full control over what happens,” but he added they have “good sense” of the security to protect both visitors and athletes and that Russian authorities “understand the stakes.”

The president also weighed in on another major sporting event: the Super Bowl.

He praised the Seattle Seahawks’ Richard Sherman, calling him a smart guy and a great cornerback and expects he will get a lot more endorsements and jersey sales following his recent headline-making postgame interview.

“My sense is he’s taking a page out of Muhammad Ali’s playbook which is, I think he’s said explicitly, this is a good way to get attention,” the president said.

The Super Bowl, he said, will be a great game and while he added that the Denver Broncos’ Peyton Manning might have had the best season ever for a quarterback, the president wouldn’t make a prediction.

“I’m not going to pick because I don’t want to offend any of the great cities participating,” Obama said.

“I love the state of Washington and I love the state of Colorado,” he said.