New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees recently caused an uproar after he told Daniel Roberts of Yahoo! Finance that he’ll “never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America.” However, Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Alejandro Villanueva believes Drew's comments were taken out of context.
In a recent appearance on 93.7 The Fan's The Cook & Joe Show on Friday, Villanueva explained that the media should be taking the blame for the uproar Brees caused.
“It was taken out of context the last time I talked about this issue. I will never speak on it again,” the Steelers' two-time Pro Bowler said. “I'm going to blame it on the media. The media is always trying to hyperfocus things. Pit people against each other. The media is unbelievably divisive right now.”
Brees' remarks have drawn a sharp rebuke across the NFL, including Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, and some of his teammates. NBA star LeBron James also chimed in and educated Brees about what's wrong in his comments regarding the kneeling protests during the national anthem.
However, Brees has already issued two apologies and has made it clear that he stands with the black community in the fight against systemic racial injustice and police brutality.
Several of Brees' teammates have publicly accepted his apologies, including receiver Michael Thomas and linebacker Demario Davis.
For what it's worth, Alejandro Villanueva is perhaps the most qualified to discuss his takes on the national anthem and the flag, as well as the kneeling protest that started years ago. Before playing in the NFL for the Steelers, Villanueva served three tours in Afghanistan as a captain in the United States Army. Additionally, the 31-year-0ld star has earned the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, among other military accolades.
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