New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees said he “will always stand for the flag” following his comments on kneeling during the national anthem earlier this summer.

Brees kicked off his first training camp news conference on Saturday with a prepared statement, saying he supports players who kneel in protest of racial injustice but that he personally will stand. He said that he “will always stand for the flag because of what it means to me, and to honor all those who have sacrificed, who have served and died for our country, and all those who have struggled to move this country forward.”