Drew Brees is backing off comments he made about protesting the national anthem after numerous NFL players called him out for being insensitive as protests following George Floyd’s death continue nationwide.
During an interview with Yahoo! on Wednesday, the veteran quarterback said he’ll “never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country” when asked if he’d support players kneeling for the national anthem during the 2020 season.
That comment led to some serious backlash from a number of black athletes, including Saints teammates Malcolm Jenkins and Michael Thomas.
Brees on Thursday apologized publicly in an Instagram post and also apologized to his teammates during a virtual meeting with the team, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini.
Russini says one player told her “it got real in their discussions, it was emotional.” Another anonymous player told Russini, “We love Drew through it all.”
Saints linebacker Demario Davis appeared on CNN later in the day, where he commended Brees for taking ownership of what he said while Saints running back Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas both said they’re willing to move past the QB’s comments.
The Saints met virtually as a team today and spent the entire meeting discussing the last few days. QB Drew Brees addressed the team and apologized. I was told by one player "it got real in their discussions, it was emotional" Another player added "We love Drew through it all"
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) June 4, 2020
Brees isn’t the only one apologizing for insensitive comments made amid the recent demonstrations. Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio issued an apology Wednesday after claiming he didn’t see discrimination or racism in the NFL “at all.”
