New Orleans Saints’ starting quarterback Drew Brees is facing criticism from star athletes and his own teammates for comments he made about NFL protesters.
Wednesday Brees was asked about players taking a knee to protest police brutality during NFL games.
Brees said he will “never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag.”
He said respecting the national anthem is not just about showing respect to the military but also to anyone who sacrificed for this country including those in the civil rights movement.
NBA superstar Lebron James called out the quarterback on Twitter saying “You literally don’t understand why Kap was kneeling on one knee?”
The comment was in reference to former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick who famously knelt during the national anthem to protest police brutality.
James went on to discuss his own father-in-law who was in the Army, saying he never found Kaepernick disrespectful.
Malcolm Jenkins, a safety for the saints, also posted a video on social media saying that Brees’ comments are hurtful and disappointing.
On Thursday Brees issued an apology for the “insensitive” comments he made.
In 2018 the NFL passed a policy to fine players kneeling during the anthem, which was done to protest police brutality and racial injustice in the US.
The punishment associated with the policy was later removed though the policy self still remained.
Posted – 6.4.20