In light of last week’s death of a black man at the hand of a white police officer in Minnesota, certain comments about protesting the American flag — such as Colin Kaepernick did as a protest against racial injustice and police brutality — are not sitting well with black players.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees has set off a growing firestorm after saying he would “never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America.”
Black players on the Saints, including safety Malcolm Jenkins, were having none of that sentiment Wednesday.
Current and former players across the NFL and other leagues, including LeBron James, also had sharp criticism for Brees — who later said he stood with his teammates in the fight for racial equality and justice.
The debate over accepted forms of protests has re-fired after last week’s death of George Floyd under the knee of a white police officer. Kaepernick’s decision to kneel during the national anthem was controversial when he did it in 2016 and he has been out of the league since. Kneeling during the anthem has subsided but may return when teams start their schedules once COVID-19 has cleared.
