NFL: New Orleans Saints’ Defensive End Rebukes Teammate Drew Brees Over Controversial Remarks

The world has been dismal for the past few days with the tragic murder of George Floyd. While the Black Lives Matter movement continues to rally the voice of the oppressed, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has gained a lot of criticism over his controversial remarks.

The 41-year-old veteran may have impressed the world with his precise passing on the field, but his recent comments have drawn an unfavorable reaction.

In a time where there has been rampant abuse of authority, many are expecting players to take a knee as a sign of protest during the national anthem once the games return. This was started by Collin Kaepernick back in 2016 as a way to symbolize the fight against police brutality.

Per Yahoo Sports, Brees has taken a different stand to this situation.

“I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America,” Brees said.

“So every time I stand with my hand over my heart, looking at that flag and singing the national anthem, that’s what I think about… thinking about all that has been sacrificed, not just those in the military, but for that matter, those throughout the civil rights movement of the 60s,” Brees added.

The national anthem and flag is something that Brees takes pride in as he wants to emphasize the point of unity.

“And all that has been endured by so many people. And is everything right with our country right now? No, it’s not. We still have a long way to go. But I think what you do by standing there and showing respect to the flag with your hand over your heart is it shows unity,” Brees concluded.

Fellow teammate and defensive end Cameron Jordan has retaliated over the words of the signal-caller and his tone-deaf statements. Per NFL, Jordan and Brees have exchanged their different thoughts regarding this issue.

"He's been the leader and a guy I can rely on -- on the field. Well, off the field has to align. I can't allow people to tippy-toe on the line of this issue. You can't play both sides on this one. We're fighting to end social injustice, and you're either with us or you aren't," Jordan said.

The recent remarks of Brees were heavily rebuked by several athletes across the country and are something even his teammates disagree with.

"In our locker room, we hold people accountable. I've already talked to 10 to 12 teammates, and a coach or two, and with the man himself (Brees),” Jordan said.

The bigger issue that Jordan wants to highlight is the systemic faults that have been oppressing the lives of the black community.

“You have to put him legitimately in our shoes, and at the same time, I don't want to force feed him. I want to walk in his shoes, too. [The national anthem] is a source of pride for him. But he has to know what that act is all about, and what it really represents," Jordan added.