Marchers at a rally to protest police brutality and racial inequality cursed out the longtime Saints quarterback and city icon as they moved down a city street. (WARNING: Obscene language in the below video.)
Brees said in an interview with Yahoo Finance that kneeling for the anthem, which former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick started in 2016, is disrespectful to the American flag and those who served in the armed forces, such as Brees’ grandfathers.
RIVERA: Brees still doesn’t understand point of protesting
Several current and former Saints players, including Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas and Malcolm Jenkins, posted their strong disagreement on Twitter. Mark Ingram and Marques Colston also weighed in.
More backlash came from two high-profile New Orleans/Louisiana people.
Pro Football of Famer Ed Reed (born in Saint Rose) called a Brees a “chump” and a “punk” in an Instagram video. “I see Drew Brees is doing his part in keeping black folk down,” Reed opened.
Actor Wendell Pierce (born in New Orleans) wrote of the experiences of his father, who he said is a World War II vet just like Brees’ grandfathers. The main difference in his father’s service, Pierce said, was how he was treated when he returned stateside.
A post shared by Ed Reed (@20twentyer) on Jun 3, 2020 at 5:36pm PDT
Luke Johnson, who covers for the Saints for The Advocate and The Times-Picayune, wrote that as someone who served in Iraq as a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, he was not bothered by players taking a knee.
