New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees drew the ire of much of the NFL world, including his own teammates, when he said in an interview with Yahoo! Finance that he does not support fellow players kneeling during the national anthem before games, arguing that protestors are “disrespecting the flag.”
When asked about the potential for anthem demonstrations in the coming NFL season in the wake of worldwide protests against injustice, Brees said that he will “will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country.”
Brees was immediately slammed on social media for his comments by many NFL players and high-profile athletes, and LeBron James called out Brees for not understanding why Colin Kaepernick chose to kneel during the anthem. Saints star wide receiver Michael Thomas also reacted to Brees, tweeting that “he don’t know no better.”
On Thursday morning, Brees tweeted an apology that was roundly criticized by players and analysts alike.
Thomas, though, is ready to move on and return the focus to the protests. Following Brees’ apology, Thomas tweeted that he has forgiven his QB, and wants to get “back to the movement!”
