Drew Brees backtracks on years-old comments on kneeling during anthem

Drew Brees has shown tremendous growth in his understanding of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Back in 2016, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was an outspoken opponent of players like Colin Kaepernick who peacefully protested racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem at NFL games. However, after he made similar statements following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers, he faced widespread backlash online and from within his own team. Soon after, Brees reversed his stance after speaking with African-American teammates to educate himself about the movement.

With the 2020 season quickly approaching, many players are expected to kneel for the anthem, and Brees is sticking to his change of heart. The Athletic New Orleans’s Katherine Terrell reported that Brees began a call with media members by addressing his past comments and acknowledging his failure to stand by the Black community.

Drew Brees claims he’s done a full 180

In an interview with Yahoo Finance back in early June, Brees asserted that players who chose to kneel for the national anthem were disrespecting both the American flag and the country and said he would “never agree” with anyone who did so. His African-American teammates, notably safety Malcolm Jenkins and wide receiver Michael Thomas, publicly criticized the comments. Brees said on his call with media that he and his teammates have reconciled and are unified in working towards social justice.

The current Black Lives Matter movement has clearly been a turning point for Brees, because it isn’t the first time he has been called out for ignoring racial justice in favor of patriotism.  Former teammate Lamar Louis said he had a conversation with Brees on the subject back in 2016 and said he felt that Brees was being willfully ignorant. Now, while he will still stand for the anthem, he said he fully supports anyone who will not.

The current racial justice movement has been a time of growth and reeducation for many white Americans, and it’s meaningful to see someone as prominent as Brees demonstrate a willingness to learn and change his opinions. Kneeling for the flag has never been a sign of disrespect — it is a call for the country to serve all Americans with the equality it promises. That understanding is a good first step for Brees, but we need to see action moving forward to back up his words.