New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees apologized on Thursday for telling a reporter, who had asked him for his views on Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling protests while in the NFL, that he “will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country.” After facing intense backlash for his remarks—including from his own teammates—Brees said it broke his 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,” he said. “They lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy. Instead, those words have become divisive and hurtful and have misled people into believing that somehow I am an enemy.” He closed by saying he recognized that “I should do less talking and more listening...and when the black community is talking about their pain, we all need to listen. For that, I am very sorry and I ask your forgiveness.”