Drew Brees’ timing is one of the reasons he’s going to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame some day. That timing was decidedly off a beat today when the Saints quarterback decided to share his thoughts on NFL players who kneel during the national anthem to protest extrajudicial police violence.
Speaking in an interview with Yahoo Finance, Brees said he’ll never agree with anybody “disrespecting the flag.”
Brees is of course entitled to his opinion. Other people are also entitled to strongly disagree – especially those who have had a much different experience of American history than Brees and his family has.
Even some of his own teammates have taken issue with what Brees said. New Orleans star wide receiver Michael Thomas in particular has been vocal. He’s put in a vintage performance on Twitter (in this case justifiable) regarding Brees’ words. Here’s just a sample.
Former Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers also called out Brees, saying he’s not ready for these kinds of conversations.
Peppers is certainly not the most outspoken player in franchise history. When he does speak up it’s worth listening, though.
Some people are going to disagree but Eric Reid, Colin Kaepernick and everyone else who has engaged in this particular form of protest have made it abundantly clear that they mean no disrespect to the flag, the military or the nation. It was always intended to be a peaceful method of voicing their opposition to black Americans being killed by the police. That’s it.
