Drew Brees has issued an apology for his comments on "disrespecting the flag," saying he "completely missed the mark" on current issues in the United States and that it "breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused."

During an interview with Yahoo! on Wednesday, Brees reiterated his stance that he will "never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America." The New Orleans Saints quarterback later told ESPN that he stands with his teammates fighting for racial equality and justice but also with the military, past and present.

In an Instagram post Thursday, Brees said he was apologizing to his friends, teammates, New Orleans, the black community, the NFL community and "anyone I hurt with my comments yesterday."

"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," Brees wrote. "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. This could not be further from the truth, and is not an accurate reflection of my heart or my character."