Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Malik Jackson will not forgive New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees after Brees apologized for criticizing national anthem protests as disrespectful.
Jackson told 6 ABC Saturday that he respects Brees as a player, but would not accept his apology. (RELATED: FLASHBACK: Jim Brown Says He Would Never ‘Denigrate’ The Flag By Kneeling During The Anthem)
“He’s a great player but (his remarks) were very insensitive about the times and where he stands … Because you’re still not understanding where we’re coming from after three years of trying to talk about this and get notoriety. You’re still talking about kneeling for a flag,” Jackson said in the interview.
Eagles DT Malik Jackson on Racism in the NFL
“I think there are racist players… I’ve seen them, I’ve heard them, I’ve talked to them… it’s not hard to see”
???? Full Interview: https://t.co/uIL81EIyRN@6abc #Eagles pic.twitter.com/arioYYzrZa
— Jeff Skversky 6abc (@JeffSkversky) June 7, 2020
Jackson went on to say that he did not believe Brees’ apology was sincere, according to NJ.com.
“I don’t accept his apology,” Jackson said. “I think he’s only apologizing because people came for him and people are disagreeing with him and he understands that his base in Louisiana, there’s a lot of black people.”
Brees apologized last week for his initial comments about national anthem protests, saying they “completely missed the mark” in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
“In an attempt to talk about respect, unity, and solidarity centered around the American flag and the national anthem, I made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country. They lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy,” the star quarterback wrote in an Instagram post.