Yahoo Finance Eagles pass rusher Malik Jackson doesn't accept Drew Brees' apology, 'excited to play him' this season
Some of Drew Brees’ New Orleans Saints teammates accepted his apology and are ready to move on.
Malik Jackson is not. The Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle doesn’t believe that Brees is genuine and promised to deliver a message when the two teams meet this season. He told Jeff Skversky of ABC 6 in Philadelphia that he lost respect for Brees.
‘Very insensitive’
“I lost a lot of respect for Drew Brees,” Jackson said (1:03 above). “A great player, but very insensitive about the times and where he stands. ...
“My great granddaddy and dad fought in the war too, and they were getting spit on at the same time. I understand where you’re coming from. But I said ‘F you’ for your mindset. 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. A flag that has oppressed people.”
Jackson was responding directly to Brees’ statement critical of NFL players who kneel for the national anthem that started a firestorm last week. Brees took the stance that kneeling is unpatriotic while failing to address the issues of social injustice and police brutality that protesters seek to change.
“I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country,” Brees told Yahoo Finance. “Let me just tell what I see or what I feel when the national anthem is played and when I look at the flag of the United States.”
Brees then referenced his grandfathers fighting in wars.
Jackson doesn’t accept Brees’ apology
After intense public backlash from athletes and teammates, Brees issued an apology. Then he issued another one.
“I am sorry, and I will do better, and I will be a part of the solution,” Brees said. “And I am your ally. And I know no words will do that justice.”
Jackson isn’t buying it.
“I don’t accept his apology,” Jackson said. “I think he’s only apologizing because of people coming for him, and people are disagreeing with him and he understands that his base in Louisiana, there’s a lot of black people. Whatever happens, it must be nice to make $25 million a year and have that stance.”
Jackson’s circled his calendar
He also plans to deliver his message directly to Brees when the Saints and Eagles meet on Dec. 13.
“Definitely excited playing them in the year,” Jackson said. “I’m gonna have a lot to say. Hopefully I don’t get too wild with it.
“I don’t understand how you can say that when you have people blocking for you that are black, when you have people catching the ball from you that are black, when you have people running the ball for you that are black.”
Jackson didn’t expound on what he meant by getting “too wild with it.” But one thing is clear. Brees has made the already massive target he carries on his back as an NFL quarterback even larger.
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