Shannon Sharpe Details Drew Brees Phone Conversation After Anthem Comments

Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe spoke with Drew Brees after the New Orleans Saints quarterback drew criticism for his comments about players protesting during the national anthem.

During FS1's Undisputed on Monday, Sharpe detailed the conversation he had with Brees. He told Brees that "what hurt the most is because it came from you" because "no white quarterback in the history of the NFL has had black support like you."

When former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began his protests against systemic racism and police brutality against people of color in 2016, Brees was outspoken in saying he felt the demonstration was "disrespectful to the American flag."

The 13-time Pro Bowler largely echoed that sentiment while speaking with Yahoo Finance's Daniel Roberts last Wednesday, citing his two grandfathers who fought in World War II:

Sharpe offered a direct critique and noted black veterans were discriminated against both when they were serving and upon returning home from war. Along with that, he said the American flag can symbolize something much different to other people:

Brees apologized for his comments on Instagram, writing in part:

"In speaking with some of you, it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused. 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."

He also directed a message to President Donald Trump, who said in September 2017 that NFL owners should "fire" any player who protested during the anthem and stated last Friday that Brees shouldn't have apologized:

Brees' Yahoo interview was considered especially tone-deaf in the wake of George Floyd's killing while in police custody.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter after he was seen on video kneeling on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes. Three other officers were charged with aiding and abetting murder.

Floyd's death sparked protests across the U.S. to demand meaningful reforms to address police brutality and systemic racism.