Tom Brady said everyone's opinion has to be respected when he was asked about NFL players protesting during the national anthem over the past two seasons, the Boston Globe reported.
The New England Patriots star quarterback, who was attending the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles on Monday, also confirmed he will be playing during the 2018 season.
The Globe said Brady didn’t lean one way or another in giving a personal opinion about the issues surrounding the anthem protests.
Many NFL players followed the lead of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick who took a knee during the national anthem before games two years ago to protest alleged police brutality against African-Americans. He went unsigned by a team last year.
"You have to have respect for everyone's opinions," Brady said during the conference, per the Globe. "Sports for me has been the most unifying part of my life . . . Never forget that."
It’s not the first time Brady touched on the issue. When President Donald Trump called on NFL owners to fire players who kneel during the national anthem, Brady said he wanted to support his fellow players.
"I just want to support my teammates," Brady told WEEI Radio in September about the protests, per the Globe. "I am never one that says, 'Oh, that’s wrong' or 'that's right,' but I do believe in what I believe in.”
"I believe in bringing people together and respect and love and trust. Those are the values that my parents instilled in me. That's how I try to live every day. I have been blessed to be in a locker room with guys all over the United States over the course of my career. … The one thing about football is it brings so many guys together — guys you would never have the opportunity to be around. Whether it was in college, and all the way into the pros. We're all different, we're all unique, and that's what makes us all special."
There were questions about whether Brady would play this season after reports of a "revolt" led by the quarterback against coach Bill Belichick, but his agent Don Yee told ESPN last month that he was definitely returning to the team.
"Tom's intentions have not changed," Yee told ESPN. "He's consistently said he'll play beyond this contract and into his mid-40s, or until he feels he isn't playing at a championship level. I understand the constant speculation, but this is one point he's been firm about."
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