Drew Brees failed to read the room. During a time when it’s probably best for white people to just shut up and listen to black voices speak on their experience in the United States, the New Orleans Saints quarterback decided take a different route and open up an old wound.
In an interview with Yahoo Finance, Brees was asked about his opinion on NFL players kneeling to protest racial injustice and police brutality during the playing of the national anthem, and after explaining what the anthem symbolized to him personally, he finally answered the question:
Highlight: @readdanwrite asks @drewbrees what the star NFL quarterback thinks about "players kneeling again when the NFL season starts."@drewbrees: “I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country.”
Full exchange: pic.twitter.com/MpCkFyOMed
— Yahoo Finance (@YahooFinance) June 3, 2020
It wasn’t long before that video started making the rounds and drew reaction from players from across the NFL, including his own teammates. Michael Thomas was the first to sound off on his quarterback.
He don’t know no better.
— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) June 3, 2020
New Saints receiver Emmanuel Sanders wasn’t far behind.
Smh.. Ignorant
— Emmanuel Sanders (@ESanders_10) June 3, 2020
Some former teammates chimed in as well.
That one hurt bro https://t.co/EWggLLyV5n
— Savage (@KennyVaccaro4) June 3, 2020
How many times will they show you Lmao why y’all acting surprised. Drew Brees from Texas @drewbrees …. YEEEEEHAAAA!!! Smmfh
— Khiry Robinson (@_numberthreeRB) June 3, 2020
And seemingly the rest of the NFL joined in, criticizing Brees for an ignorant take that deserves all the criticism it is getting.
This is a disgrace! To speak about your grandfathers as if there weren’t black men fighting next to them.Those men later returned to a country that hated them. Don’t avoid the issue and try to make it about a flag or the military. Fight like your grandfathers for whats right! https://t.co/qag3Igic3V
— Devin&Jason McCourty (@McCourtyTwins) June 3, 2020
Always knew who he was! Every time y’all came at me and said I couldn’t come home because I didn’t think he was Jesus. Oh well! Keep cheering
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) June 3, 2020
He’s beyond lost. Guarantee you there were black men fighting along side your grandfather but this doesn’t seem to be about that. That uncomfortable conversation you are trying to avoid by injecting military into a conversation about brutality and equality is part of the problem https://t.co/ON81UsOWPw pic.twitter.com/HH3EVTIH8p
— Richard Sherman (@RSherman_25) June 3, 2020
If you don’t speak up about racism, then you’re apart of the problem. This man said the flag … trash
— AJ Brown (@Brown1arthur) June 3, 2020
🤦🏽♂️…. This ain’t it https://t.co/XOew9MW6gu
— Josh Jacobs (@iAM_JoshJacobs) June 3, 2020
damn Drew… 🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️
— Jay Ajayi (@JayTrain) June 3, 2020
This guy doesn’t fucking get it. This is a lesson in #WhitePrivelege https://t.co/o8yPfi6EJy
— Jalen Reeves-Maybin (@ReevesMaybin) June 3, 2020
If you're still talking about players "disrespecting the flag" by kneeling during the national anthem clearly you're not ready for these conversations. Call a time out and come back later.
— Julius Peppers (@juliuspeppers_) June 3, 2020
How can you be in the locker rooms, speaking to the players, know the reasoning, and yet still be dumb enough to believe it’s about the flag. Like HOW???? He should know better than that. He just doesn’t care. Damn man not Drew…
— Damon Harrison Sr. (@snacks) June 3, 2020
@drewbrees SMH. You represent New Orleans Louisiana. Don’t ever forget that! #Bottomofthemap
— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) June 3, 2020
.@drewbrees the reason my children have to live in a world that won’t empathize with their pain is because people like you are raising your children to perpetuate the cycle. Drew, you are the problem.
— Douglas Baldwin Jr 🧢 (@DougBaldwinJr) June 3, 2020
Dammit Drew…
— Jamal Adams (@Prez) June 3, 2020