NEW ORLEANS Drew Brees was sharply criticized by fellow high-profile athletes, including some of his own teammates, on Wednesday after the Saints quarterback reiterated his opposition to kneeling during the national anthem.
In an interview with Yahoo, Brees was asked to revisit former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick's 2016 protest of police brutality against minorities, in which Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem before games.
I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States, Brees began, adding that the national anthem reminds him of his grandfathers, who served in the armed forces during World War II.
Brees has said he supports those protesting police brutality but that he does not see the national anthem as the proper forum for that.
In 2017, Brees participated with teammates who knelt before the national anthem, but then stood in unison when the anthem was played.