Remember earlier this summer, when it seemed the New Orleans Saints were on the verge of coming apart at the seams?
Appearing, of all places, on a Yahoo Finance show back in June, Drew Brees was asked about how the George Floyd protests that were brewing across the country at that time could manifest into on-field demonstrations during the NFL season, the Saints quarterback said this:
“I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country," Brees said. "And is everything right with our country right now? No. It’s not. We still have a long way to go. But I think what you do by standing there and showing respect to the flag with your hand over your heart, is it shows unity. It shows that we are all in this together. We can all do better. And that we are all part of the solution.”
The backlash was strong and swift. Brees ended up apologizing, twice, and took fire from the left and the right. The President weighed in, but the most significant criticism to Brees's day-to-day life was likely from Malcolm Jenkins.
"Our communities are under siege, and we need help," Jenkins said in a series of Instagram videos. "And what you're telling us is don't ask for help that way. Ask for it a different way. I can't listen to it when you ask that way. We're done asking, Drew. And people who share your sentiments, who express those and push them throughout the world, the airwaves, are the problem.
"And it's unfortunate because I considered you a friend. I looked up to you. You're somebody who I had a great deal of respect for. But sometimes you should shut the f--- up."
Jenkins played for the Saints from 2009-13, left for Philadelphia from 2014-19 before returning this season. He's not the longest-tenured Saints defender, but he's probably the group's elder statesman, the leader of the defense.
And he went public telling the Saints' quarterback that he "considered" him a friend and that sometimes he should "shut the f--- up."
As far as public rebukes of a teammate's character, you'd be hard pressed to find a recent example that even compares.
This was every coach's nightmare. Offense and defense fighting! Black guys against white guys! The dreaded D-word--distractions!
Except, none of that happened. What could have become a problem was approached as an opportunity, and now Jenkins said the Saints are stronger in late August than they were back in early June.
“Yeah, I think if anything, the team was probably closer for it because we’ve had to have tough conversations and oftentimes, those adversities or those intimate kind of engagements, bring people closer, and I think this is no exception,” Jenkins said in a teleconference last week.
The great thing about football is how it unites people of every shape, color and creed under one common purpose like no other sport. A clashing of perspectives is inevitable, and the Saints' experience showed that these episodes do not have to be distractions that tear teams apart, but opportunities for them to come closer together.