NEW ORLEANS — Drew Brees was criticized sharply by fellow high-profile athletes including some of his own teammates on Wednesday after the Saints’ quarterback reiterated his opposition to kneeling during the National Anthem.
In an interview with Yahoo, Brees was asked to revisit former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s 2016 protest against police brutality against minorities, in which Kaepernick knelt during the National Anthem before games.
“I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States,” Brees began, adding that the national anthem reminds him of two grandfathers who served in the armed forces during World War II. “In many cases, it brings me to tears thinking about all that has been sacrificed, and not just 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.”
Brees has said he supports those protesting police brutality but that he does not see the national anthem as the proper forum for that. In 2017, Brees participated with teammates who knelt before the national anthem but then stood in unison when the anthem was played.
Critical responses to Brees’ statements appeared on social media from major professional athletes including the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins.
James has been vocal in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, and he entered the Brees conversation:
WOW MAN!! ??♂️. Is it still surprising at this point. Sure isn’t! You literally still don’t understand why Kap was kneeling on one knee?? Has absolute nothing to do with the disrespect of ?? and our soldiers(men and women) who keep our land free. My father-in-law was one of those https://t.co/pvUWPmh4s8
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 3, 2020
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward posted about respect:
Protesting racism/ police brutality does not equal disrespecting the flag
— Cam Heyward (@CamHeyward) June 3, 2020
Jenkins was Brees’ teammate when the Saints won the Super Bowl in the 2009 season but spent the past six seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before returning to New Orleans this offseason.
Saints star receiver Michael Thomas weighed in on Twitter:
He don’t know no better.
— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) June 3, 2020
We don’t care if you don’t agree and whoever else how about that.
— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) June 3, 2020
— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) June 3, 2020
Elevated innovation over ignorance
— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) June 3, 2020
Former Steelers safety Ryan Clark also tweeted:
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
