Brees sorry after LeBron James leads backlash to QB’s criticism of anthem protests

QB said he does not agree with peaceful protest during anthem
Comments came in wake of police killing of George Floyd
Does not say whether he has changed views in new statement

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has apologized for his lack of “compassion or empathy” after he said he disagrees with athletes protesting against racism during the national anthem.

Brees registered his opposition to the non-violent protest movement launched by Colin Kaepernick during the 2016 NFL season in an interview with Yahoo Finance published on Wednesday.

Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins had something to say about his teammate Drew Brees’ comments earlier today.

(via @MalcolmJenkins) pic.twitter.com/mDXl9I9Gox

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

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. In speaking with some of you, it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused. 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. This is where I stand: I stand with the black community in the fight against systemic racial injustice and police brutality and support the creation of real policy change that will make a difference. I condemn the years of oppression that have taken place throughout our black communities and still exists today. I acknowledge that we as Americans, including myself, have not done enough to fight for that equality or to truly understand the struggles and plight of the black community. I recognize that I am part of the solution and can be a leader for the black community in this movement. I will never know what it’s like to be a black man or raise black children in America but I will work every day to put myself in those shoes and fight for what is right. I have ALWAYS been an ally, never an enemy. I am sick about the way my comments were perceived yesterday, but I take full responsibility and accountability. I recognize that I should do less talking and more listening…and when the black community is talking about their pain, we all need to listen. For that, I am very sorry and I ask your forgiveness.