Drew Brees Forced to Apologize After Dissing NFL Players Kneeling in Protest

*New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was forced to apologize after making clear that he would not support NFL players kneeling in protests of police brutality during the playing of the national anthem before games. 

His remarks came during an interview with Yahoo Sports on Wednesday, during which Brees was asked about the possibility of NFL players continuing the movement that Colin Kaepernick started in 2016 by kneeling during the national anthem to protest racism and police brutality. 

“I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country,” Brees responded. “Let me just tell you what I see or what I feel when the national anthem is played and when I look at the flag of the United States.”

After catching heat from sports fans and athletes alike, including LeBron James, Brees took to his Instagram to issue an apology.

Check out his full statement below. 

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View this post on Instagram

 

I would like to apologize to my friends, teammates, the City of New Orleans, the black community, NFL community and anyone I hurt with my comments yesterday. In speaking with some of you, it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused. In an attempt to talk about respect, unity, and solidarity centered around the American flag and the national anthem, I made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country. They lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy. Instead, those words have become divisive and hurtful and have misled people into believing that somehow I am an enemy. This could not be further from the truth, and is not an accurate reflection of my heart or my character. This is where I stand: I stand with the black community in the fight against systemic racial injustice and police brutality and support the creation of real policy change that will make a difference. I condemn the years of oppression that have taken place throughout our black communities and still exists today. I acknowledge that we as Americans, including myself, have not done enough to fight for that equality or to truly understand the struggles and plight of the black community. I recognize that I am part of the solution and can be a leader for the black community in this movement. I will never know what it’s like to be a black man or raise black children in America but I will work every day to put myself in those shoes and fight for what is right. I have ALWAYS been an ally, never an enemy. I am sick about the way my comments were perceived yesterday, but I take full responsibility and accountability. I recognize that I should do less talking and more listening…and when the black community is talking about their pain, we all need to listen. For that, I am very sorry and I ask your forgiveness.

A post shared by Drew Brees (@drewbrees) on Jun 4, 2020 at 5:22am PDT

“I would like to apologize to my friends, teammates, the City of New Orleans, the black community, NFL community and anyone I hurt with my comments yesterday,” wrote Brees on Instagram. “In speaking with some of you, it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused. In an attempt to talk about respect, unity, and solidarity centered around the American flag and the national anthem, I made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country. They lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy.”

WOW MAN!! ??‍♂️. Is it still surprising at this point. Sure isn’t! You literally still don’t understand why Kap was kneeling on one knee?? Has absolute nothing to do with the disrespect of ?? and our soldiers(men and women) who keep our land free. My father-in-law was one of those https://t.co/pvUWPmh4s8

— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 3, 2020

As noted by Complex, his message was accompanied by a stock photo of a white hand holding a black hand, and Brees wrote that he stands “with the black community in the fight against systemic racial injustice and police brutality and support the creation of real policy change.” He added, “I will never know what it’s like to be a black man or raise black children in America, but I will work every day to put myself in those shoes and fight for what is right.” 

Drew Brees’ PR manager literally used a stock image to go along with an apology that completely evades the problem with what he said.

That’s possibly the worst PR job I’ve ever seen.

— Cian (@Cianaf) June 4, 2020

He ended the post by claiming he is “sick about the way my comments were perceived yesterday,” but he also accepts “full responsibility and accountability” for his remarks. 

Drew Brees backpedaling better than Deion Sanders. Smh! ITS WAS NEVER ABOUT THE FLAG OR THE MILITARY…. but we All know that.

— Joe Haden (@joehaden23) June 4, 2020

Folks across social media ain’t buying what they called an “insincere” apology, especially considering that he failed to acknowledge that there’s no connection between the kneeling protests and disrespecting the flag. 

Everyone knows it was never about the flag, as Colin Kaepernick has been screaming it from day one. But the white supremacists chose to hijack his message and flip the script on the narrative, now they have a bunch of clowns like Drew talking about “disrespecting the flag” and it was NEVER about that.

Meanwhile, outspoken media personality Jemele Hill noted on Twitter, “As Drew Brees and Florida State coach Mike Norvell are finding out, the worst thing you can be at a time like this is, fake.”

As Drew Brees and Florida State coach Mike Norvell are finding out, the worst thing you can be at a time like this is, fake.

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) June 4, 2020

Brees was even mocked for using a stock photo.

drew brees paid $33 to end racism pic.twitter.com/peMg2Um5m4

— Sean Gentille (@seangentille) June 4, 2020

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