After  yesterday (June 4), we can only imagine that Drew Brees was hoping he wouldn’t make another headline for a while. The NFL player went viral after he gave an interview saying he didn’t agree with ‘s peaceful protest of kneeling during games because it was disrespectful to the National Anthem, the flag, and the military. After being raked through the coals, Drew Brees issued not only one, but two apologies.

Then,, but the New Orleans Saints player shouldn’t have apologized for his remarks. Brees quickly penned a response to the President, writing in a lengthy caption to an Instagram post that after discussing the protest with friends and family, he recognizes that it isn’t about the flag. “We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities,” Brees wrote. ” and regretfully I brought it back with my comments this week. We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial & prison reform.”

“We as a white community need to listen and learn from the pain and suffering of our black communities,” Brees added. “We must acknowledge the problems, identify the solutions, and then put this into action. The black community cannot do it alone. This will require all of us.” Read his message in full below.