Current, former Giants rip Drew Brees for national anthem stance, apology

Several current and former members of the New York Giants had some words for New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees offered up some controversial comments earlier this week when asked about racism in America, national anthem protests and the death of George Floyd, an African American man who died in police custody more than 10 days ago.

“I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country,” Brees said during a Yahoo! Finance interview. “Let me just tell what I see or what I feel when the national anthem is played and when I look at the flag of the United States. I envision my two grandfathers, who fought for this country during World War II, one in the Army and one in the Marine Corp. Both risking their lives to protect our country and to try to make our country and this world a better place. So every time I stand with my hand over my heart looking at that flag and singing the national anthem, that’s what I think about.

“And in many cases, that brings me to tears, thinking about all that has been sacrificed. Not just those in the military, but for that matter, those throughout the civil rights movements of the ‘60s, and all that has been endured by so many people up until this point. And is everything right with our country right now? No, it is not. We still have a long way to go. But I think what you do by standing there and showing respect to the flag with your hand over your heart, is it shows unity. It shows that we are all in this together, we can all do better and that we are all part of the solution.”

Almost instantly, Brees faced fierce backlash from the NFL community, including several of his teammates. He ultimately issued an apology.

“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,” Brees wrote, in part, on Instagram.

In the eyes of many, Brees’ apology rang hallow and was not accepted.

Among those who didn’t want to hear it were several current and former members of the New York Giants, including safety Jabrill Peppers and running back Jonathan Hilliman.

Former Giants tight end Martellus Bennett also had some strong words for Brees, but they are not at all safe for work.

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