After receiving backlash for his comments regarding players kneeling during the playing of the national anthem Wednesday, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees apologized Thursday on Instagram.

During an interview Wednesday with Yahoo Finance that comes amid recent protests brought about by the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, Brees stood firm to his position that kneeling during the national anthem constitutes disrespect to both the American flag and the United States, an issue that has received renewed attention in the wake of widespread protests over police killings of black Americans.

“I would like to apologize to my friends, teammates, the City of New Orleans, the black community, NFL community and anyone I hurt with my comments yesterday,” Brees posted on Instagram Thursday, part of a longer message.

Brees, when asked during the interview about kneeling during the anthem, mentioned his grandfather’s service in the military.

The interview question stemmed from the belief that the NFL will see more players protesting police brutality and systemic racism in 2020 during the anthem.