Drew Brees has apologized amid a torrent of criticism from LeBron James, NFL stars, fans, and even his New Orleans Saints teammates over his recent objections to players protesting racism by kneeling during the national anthem.
'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,' Brees wrote on Instagram.
'In speaking with some of you, it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused.'
In an interview posted to Twitter on Wednesday, Brees told that he 'will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country.' Brees had been asked about his social responsibilities moving forward, and responded by pointing to his World War II veteran grandfathers to explain his objection to the demonstrations.
Brees's public comments were his first following the killing of unarmed black man George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25, sparking nationwide protests over racist police brutality - the same issue some NFL players have been protesting during the national anthem since 2016.
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Drew Brees has apologized and condemned oppression of African Americans amid a torrent of criticism from LeBron James , NFL stars, and even his New Orleans Saints teammates over his recent objections to players protesting racism by kneeling during the national anthem
Brees did not run away from criticism in his apology on Instagram: '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'
Demonstrators protesting Floyd's killing in New Orleans on Wednesday night were heard chanting 'f*** Drew Brees,' who had been one of the city's most celebrated residents over the last decade since winning Super Bowl XLIV.
Other Saints fans were seen burning his replica jersey.
Brees has also been criticized by Saints teammates Cameron Jordan, Michael Thomas, and Malcolm Jenkins, the latter of whom told the 41-year-old quarterback to be quiet.
'I considered you a friend,' Jenkins said in a video posted to Instagram. 'I looked up to you. You're somebody I had a great deal of respect for. But sometimes, you should shut the f*** up.'
Besides his teammates and New Orleans residents, Brees was also knocked by LeBron James, who said he misinterpreted the protests, and by former NFL player Shannon Sharpe, who said the future Hall of Famer should retire.
'I don't know what Drew's going to do, but he probably should just go ahead and retire now,' Sharpe, a Hall of Fame tight end, said on his FS1 show, 'Undisputed.'
