After receiving nearly universal criticism for saying that he will "never agree" with someone taking a knee during the national anthem, Drew Brees took to Instagram this morning to post an apology.
"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," Brees wrote. "In speaking with some of you, it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused."
Brees posted a photo of a white hand and black hand clasping, along with a lengthy caption where he admitted that he "made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country."
"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," Brees wrote.
In the last 24 hours, Brees has been called out by several professional athletes, including LeBron James. And while former teammate Joe Horn came to Brees' defense, many of his current and former teammates condemned his statement. Receiver Michael Thomas tweeted out criticism of Brees and safety Malcolm Jenkins posted an emotional video in response to Brees' statement. Their words appear to have affected Brees, who acknowledged some of his shortcomings in the post while saying that he is not 'an enemy.'
"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."
It's worth noting that Brees does not actually say that he has changed his position on protesting the flag, so it will be interesting to see how his apology is perceived. Will teammates and players across the league accept his words or could they be seen as a hollow attempt to save his image? Only time will tell.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!