New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees issued an apology on Thursday morning through an Instagram post specifically to his friends, teammates, New Orleans, the black community, and “anyone I hurt with my comments yesterday” saying that he “completely missed the mark” on current issues and that “it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused.”
The apology came a day after Brees faced backlash and criticism for saying in an interview with Yahoo Finance that he disagreed with players kneeling during the national anthem in protest and would “never agree with anyone disrespecting the flag” of the United States of America.
A proud military supporter with two veteran grandfathers, Brees says he stands with his teammates and will fight for racial equality and justice but will also stand for our military, past and present when it comes to honoring the American flag and standing for the national anthem.
In his apology Brees said in regards to his interview with Yahoo Finance that his words “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.