Drew Brees issues apology after public backlash from current, former teammates

Drew Brees apologized to his New Orleans Saints teammates, fans, and community after a controversial Yahoo interview on NFL anthem protests.

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Drew Brees drew fiery reactions for his comments on potential peaceful protests during the national anthem before NFL games, largely from his own teammates. Appearing in an interview with Yahoo’s Daniel Roberts, Brees reiterated the same stance he shared back in 2017 on protests against police brutality, interpreting those actions as disrespecting the American flag and military.

It got ugly after that. Enough so that Marques Colston, the “Quiet Storm” himself, shared two pages of thoughts from his official Twitter account. Malcolm Jenkins posted several videos on Instagram criticizing Brees for being obtuse and missing the point. Former teammates like Lance Moore expressed their disappointment, while Michael Thomas, Alvin Kamara, and Cameron Jordan also went after Brees. The team’s most important leader divided the locker room.

It quickly spread beyond the Saints’ corner of Twitter. LeBron James ripped Brees, too, posting a series of statements emphasizing that, “Wrong is wrong!” Wendell Pierce spoke at length about his father’s experience as a veteran who fought systemic racism in New Orleans after World War II.

Some of Brees’ upcoming opponents rallied against him, with Green Bay Packers linebacker Za’Darius Smith circling his Week 3 game against Brees and the Saints on his calendar.

So Brees moved quickly on Thursday to clarify where he stands on these issues. He put out a lengthy statement on Instagram (which we’ve embedded below; you can also find it at this link) apologizing for the hurt he caused and the division that he caused. It’s a start, but meaningful actions will do more to mend fences. At least it impressed Demario Davis, who reacted in real time while giving an interview to CNN. See it for yourself:

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.

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