Drew Brees made many in the football community upset last week after his comments on kneeling during the National Anthem. NFL players have been advocating for these types of peaceful protests for years and they felt as though Brees was undermining them and their struggle. Eventually, Brees talked things out with his teammates, and eventually, he changed his mind and how he feels. Brees apologized and noted that he has a lot of work to do when it comes to listening to his fellow man.
In light of the backlash surrounding Brees’ comments, his wife Brittany has now gotten involved and recently penned an emotional apology on the Brees Dream Foundation Instagram page. Throughout the post, Brees apologizes for her and her husband’s ignorance. She also notes that she has done a lot of listening over the last week and hopes to be a part of the solution as opposed to the problem.
Per Brees:
“To say ‘I don’t agree with disrespecting the flag’. I now understand was also saying I don’t understand what the problem really is, I don’t understand what you’re fighting for, and I’m not willing to hear you because of our preconceived notions of what that flag means to us. […] “We want to do better. We want to HEAR you, and we will fight for you because thinking we are not part of the problem…is checking the box it means we are…not doing enough. It’s our job to educate ourselves. We are sorry.”
It’s clear that the Brees family wants to do its part, and based on both Drew and Brittany’s comments, they are both saddened to have hurt so many people. What matters now, though, is that they are listening and changing.