New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is facing backlash for his comments Wednesday about NFL players potentially kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality, a movement originally started by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016.
Niners cornerback Richard Sherman called Brees "beyond lost":
Sherman is one of numerous athletes around sports criticizing the Super Bowl champion, including LeBron James and Brees' Saints teammates Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara:
Kaepernick and kneeling protests in the NFL have reemerged as a mainstream topic following the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed black man who died while in Minneapolis police custody May 25 after since-fired officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the back of his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds.