- On Wednesday, Brees was widely criticized after saying he wouldn't support
NFL players taking part in protests against police brutality by kneeling for the national anthem. - Brees apologized for his comments, but on Friday, President Trump tried to drag Brees into the debate again, saying he should not have backed down from his original stance.
- But rather than let the president continue to put the focus of the protest on the flag, Brees recentered police brutality as the focus of the protests in his response.
- "We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities," Brees wrote to Trump.
On Wednesday, the Saints quarterback was widely criticized after he said he would "never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country."
Everyone from LeBron James to NFL players, to even some of Brees' teammates offered their takes on why his response was disappointing. They noted that Brees had made the conversation about himself rather than those taking part in the protest, and centered the argument around the flag rather than police brutality, the issue that players were demonstrating against.
Brees offered his apology on Thursday, which some of his teammates publicly accepted. But on Friday, President Trump did his best to reignite the controversy surrounding the protests on Twitter, dragging Brees into the conversation once again.
"I am a big fan of Drew Brees. I think he's truly one of the greatest quarterbacks, but he should not have taken back his original stance on honoring our magnificent American Flag. OLD GLORY is to be revered, cherished, and flown high," Trump tweeted.
"We should be standing up straight and tall, ideally with a salute, or a hand on heart. There are other things you can protest, but not our Great American Flag - NO KNEELING!"
Brees responded on Instagram, and his words to the president proved he has a much clearer understanding of the nature of the protests than he had just a few days earlier.
"To President Trump," Brees began.
"Through my ongoing conversations with friends, teammates, and leaders in the black community, I realize this is not an issue about the American flag. It has never been. We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities.
"We did this back in 2017, and regretfully I brought it back with my comments this week. We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial & prison reform.
"We are at a critical juncture in our nation's history! If not now, then when?
"We as a white community need to listen and learn from the pain and suffering of our black communities. We must acknowledge the problems, identify the solutions, and then put this into action. The black community cannot do it alone. This will require all of us."
While Brees' initial apology on Thursday was criticized by some, the Saints quarterback earned praise for showing real growth with his response to the president.
—Mina Kimes (@minakimes) June 6, 2020
—Nancy Armour (@nrarmour) June 6, 2020
—Steven Ruiz (@theStevenRuiz) June 6, 2020
Saints superstar wide receiver Michael Thomas, who had expressed disappointment in Brees' initial statement, also shared his appreciation for Brees' response.
—Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) June 6, 2020
Brees wasn't the only one to come out in support of player protests on Friday despite the words of the president. Hours after Trump's tweets at Brees, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell offered an apology for the league's previous stance on peaceful player demonstrations.
"We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people," Goodell said. "We the National Football League admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier, and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest."
In the 2018 offseason, the NFL nearly adopted a policy that would force players to stand for the anthem or wait in the locker room in order to appease Trump. Just two years later, it looks as though the league is ready to stand up to the president about players' right to kneel.
"I recognize that I am part of the solution," Brees wrote in his initial apology on Thursday.
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