FOXBORO, Mass. — After more than a dozen New England Patriots players knelt during the national anthem ahead of Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans, quarterback Tom Brady reacted to the gesture by describing the love he has for his teammates.
On Wednesday, Brady, who was one of several Patriots who locked arms during the anthem, again addressed the silent protest, saying he doesn’t believe it will cause division in New England’s locker room.
“I don’t think anybody wants that,” Brady said. “Like I said, we really want to focus on our jobs and showing up here. That’s what we’re here for. That’s where the focus needs to be. I’m sure there will be conversations as we continue to go forward. We’ll see how it goes.”
NFL teams are highly diverse groups — collections of players from different regions, races, religions and upbringings. Conversations about important, non-football issues naturally will take place, especially in the wake of explosive comments like the ones President Donald Trump made last weekend.
“I think the dialogue is always open,” Brady said. “I think that’s important for any team. Hard and fast rules, maybe, in this day and age is a little bit tougher than they used to be, but I just think it’s overall trust that everyone is here to do the same thing. I think everyone has a great deal of respect for each other in the locker room. We try to work hard every day and always put the team first. We also understand that there are extenuating circumstances at times, and you have to respect the people that you play with.
“Like I said after (Sunday’s) game, just the love that you have for the players and for things that are important to individuals. I think we have a great locker room. I think we have some good leadership. I think we’re still evolving and hopefully, you know, it’s early in the season. There’s a lot of room to make improvement — certainly on the field — and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Wide receiver Danny Amendola on Wednesday said he believes all Patriots players will stand for the anthem before this Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
