Nate Boyer, Green Beret Who Inspired Kaepernick, Responds to Drew Brees' Comments

Former green beret and NFL long snapper Nate Boyer commented Thursday on New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees' take regarding players kneeling during the national anthem. 

During an interview with Yahoo Finance, Brees said he would "never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America" by kneeling during the anthem:

Boyer, who convinced then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to kneel rather than sit during the anthem while protesting racial inequality and police brutality in 2016, offered his take on Brees' comments and who Brees is as a person during an appearance on Ben & Woods on 97.3 The Fan in San Diego (h/t Radio.com's Tim Kelly):

"I'll just speak on the Drew Brees thing really quickly—he's a really good dude, man. He does a lot for the city of New Orleans, for the community, whether it's post-Katrina or helping secure voting rights for formerly incarcerated people in Louisiana—he helped lead that charge with some of the Saints' players. ... But the fact of the matter is that we've gotta—for these guys that are working really hard in the league, a lot of these players—make sure that the narrative is understood that the protests are about racial inequality, social injustice and police brutality and that kneeling during the anthem was a mechanism to raise that attention and to get those voices heard. But it's not about disrespecting the flag or disrespecting the military and I think Drew knows that."

On Thursday, Brees took to Instagram to apologize for his comments, saying he "completely missed the mark" and that he "stand[s] with the black community in the fight against systemic racial injustice and police brutality and support[s] the creation of real policy change that will make a difference."

Racial inequality and police brutality have been a major topic of discussion in the United States over the past week following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last Monday. Floyd died in police custody after officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes despite Floyd saying he couldn't breathe.

Chauvin was fired, arrested and charged with second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for Floyd's death. Protests have been held in cities across the United States in the 10 days since Floyd's killing.

Boyer also said that while Brees has a right to feel patriotic, he should also understand why some choose to kneel during the anthem:

"I also understand what he was talking about in the other part of that video when the anthem plays, because I feel the same way. And that's not a bad thing to feel patriotic. It's not a bad thing to love your country and want to stand with your hand on your heart. But if other people don't feel the same way, it's just that acknowledgment and understanding that, 'Hey, I'll stand for you, and until you feel that way, maybe you shouldn't. But when you do, I'm looking forward to the day that you feel the same way that I do and I'll keep fighting to make it happen until that day comes.'"

Brees, 41, is set to enter his 20th NFL season and his 15th with the Saints in 2020. He is the NFL's all-time leader in both passing yardage and passing touchdowns, and he is a surefire future Hall of Famer.

The 13-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champion signed a two-year contract with the Saints in free agency this offseason after mulling retirement.