New Orleans Saints

"I considered you a friend. I looked up to you. You're somebody I had a great deal of respect for. But sometimes, you should shut the f**k up."

Malcolm Jenkins just went HARD after Drew Brees in a now-deleted video ... calling his Saints teammate everything from "self-centered" to "unaware" -- and it's pretty emotional.

Jenkins -- who took down the vid and posted a second version of it to his Instagram on Wednesday -- fired at Brees for calling kneeling protests during NFL national anthems "disrespectful."

"To assume that you have a perspective about the flag and what it means to you or the national anthem, and that everybody else should have the same mentality," Jenkins said, "it is just completely unaware that my grandfather's experience is way different from yours."

The NFL star continued, "To stay silent when your peers are screaming from the mountain top that, 'We need help, our communities are under siege and we need help,' 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 and airways, are the problem."

In his second video, Jenkins echoed the same sentiment as his first ... even saying in the clip, "if you don't understand that other people experience something totally different than you, then when you talk about the brotherhood and all this other bullsh*t, it's just lip service."

In the written caption of the second clip, Malcolm said Drew had reached out to him to give his side of the story prior to posting the vids ... but the DB explained why he felt the need to go forward with the emotional messages anyway.

"As I was trying to muster up the energy and find the words to address Drew Brees’s comments I recorded this video," Jenkins said. "Before I could post it, Drew reached out to me to discuss his point of view."

Malcolm continued, "All in all, I’m still posting this video because it’s important for anyone who wants to consider themself an ally to know how these words and actions affect those who you want to help. Drew’s words during his interview were extremely painful to hear and I hope he rectifies them with real action."

Drew Brees still does not believe NFL players should take a knee during the national anthem -- saying it's disrespectful to the flag.

The New Orleans Saints QB appeared on Yahoo's On The Move where he was asked about Colin Kaepernick's kneeling demonstration most likely making a return when the NFL season begins.

"I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America," Brees said.

The 41-year-old explained why the anthem is so important to him - he has 2 grandfathers who served in the military -- and says he gets emotional thinking about the sacrifices they made to serve our country.

Brees also says he thinks about "the civil rights movements of the '60s and everyone and all that has been endured by so many people up until this point."

That's when Brees acknowledges the civil unrest in the U.S. following the killing of George Floyd ... but still doubled down on his stance.

"Is everything right with our country right now? No, it's not. We still have a long away to go. But, I think what you do by standing there and showing respect for 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."

Clearly, not everyone in the NFL feels the same way.

Kaepernick has said he took a knee to put a spotlight on police brutality and racial injustice ... not to disrespect the military.

Some real honesty from Jameis Winston -- who says he had to check his ego to become the backup QB for the New Orleans Saints ... but thinks it's worth the investment.

Winston -- the #1 overall pick in 2015 with the Bucs -- just signed a 1-year deal to back up Drew Brees in NO ... and calls it a "once in a lifetime opportunity" to learn from one of the best of all time.

"It was no better position than to be in the same room with someone that I’ve really looked up to, someone that I admired since I’ve been playing this game in Drew Brees," Winston said on "Chalk Talk with Charlie Ward."

In fact, Winston says being in the same QB room as Brees, Taysom Hill and the Saints coaching staff is "like a Harvard education in quarterback school."

He continued ... "I wanted to put my ego aside, put the money aside and think about my family, think about my career."

"There’s a proverb. Humility comes before honor. So I have to humble myself and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be with Drew Brees and be with the New Orleans Saints and just prepare. Just prepare for when my next opportunity is going to present itself."

Winston also says he knows there's no chance he wins the starting QB job over Brees ... but sees the opportunity as a stepping stone.

"I’ve done some great things with the Bucs. I’m going to miss being a starting quarterback. But you never know what happens. I think this is just a great and unique step to join Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints and learn from him. Learn from one of the best to ever do it and make a great transition in my career."

Saints P Thomas Morstead is hooking up a bunch of doctors and nurses with thousands of dollars worth of freshly squeezed juices ... all to keep the medical professionals fighting the COVID-19 pandemic safe and healthy!!

In addition to being a Super Bowl-winning, Pro Bowl punter ... 34-year-old Morstead owns a stake in a company called Main Squeeze Juice Co. Thomas tells TMZ Sports he decided he could help by donating product ... so that's exactly what he did.

"Main Squeeze, they make the best juices in the world, and we wanted to make sure we were not only lending some real physical support, but also emotionally, just to let these doctors and nurses know we're behind them."

Thomas says this wasn't just a 1-time thing ... he, along with ex-Saints star Marques Colston (also an investor in the company), and the M.S. execs plan to keep donating as long as it's necessary.

"Main Squeeze franchising company did that on week 1. Week 2, this past week, I personally donated. I believe next week, Marques Colston, a former teammate of mine, is going to be donating as well," Morstead says.

"I don't know that there's an end in sight. We're just gonna try to keep providing support every Monday as long as it's needed."

Morstead says he's lost count of exactly how many drinks they've delivered ... but tells us they gave 1,400 juices to 8 different NOLA hospitals the first week alone.

Drew Brees will be heading toward a TV near you after his Saints playing days are over ... inking a deal with NBC that will reportedly pay him roughly $6 mil a year!

NBC Sports confirmed the New Orleans Saints QB will be a TV analyst for the network after he retires from football -- they're clearly trying to find the next Tony Romo.

The New York Post claims ESPN made a serious run at the future Hall of Famer with a deal that would pay around $6 MILLION to join their 'MNF' broadcast ... but Brees turned that down for a similar deal with NBC.

41-year-old Brees will reportedly be groomed to be Cris Collinsworth's replacement on NBC's "Sunday Night Football" broadcast ... and will start out calling Notre Dame games on Saturdays and analyzing NFL games on Sundays.

"Like all NFL fans, we look forward to watching Drew continue his Hall of Fame career this fall, and we are confident his post-playing career will be just as successful," a rep for NBC Sports told The Post.

Brees inked a 2-year, $50 MILLION contract with the Saints this offseason ... but it's very possible he begins his NBC contract next year -- as both Drew and head coach Sean Payton have hinted this could be the final season of his NFL career.

Drew has made a ton of headlines this offseason -- most recently for pledging $5 MILLION to the coronavirus relief efforts in Louisiana.

It's a beautiful day for Who Dat Nation -- Drew Brees just announced he's NOT retiring and will return to the New Orleans Saints in 2020.

There have been talks all offseason about the 41-year-old hanging up his helmet for good ... with reports Brees was "undecided" about coming back this year.

In fact, we spoke with Saints head coach Sean Payton and Saints legend Willie Roaf a few weeks ago ... and they adamantly denied Brees was ready to retire.

Now, we're hearing straight from the Super Bowl-winning QB's mouth -- he's comin' back!! ... and he's using a beautiful shot from his trip to Hawaii to express how he feels.

"My feelings about the 2020 season!," Brees' IG caption reads. "I look forward to the grind and the journey, for the reward at the end will be worth it!!! Love you #WhoDatNation. Let’s make another run at it!"

As Payton says, Brees ain't close to slowing down -- he threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 27 TDs in just 11 games in 2019.

Good news, Saints fans ... Sean Payton tells TMZ Sports he fully expects Drew Brees to return for his 15th season in New Orleans next season!!!

"Listen," Payton tells us, "I think he's playing at a high level."

Of course, there's been a lot of talk about Brees possibly hanging it up this off-season ... he's 41 years old and coming off a year in which he threw for less than 3,000 yards for the first time since 2003.

Plus, he's a free agent who would need to renegotiate yet another tough, high-priced deal with New Orleans leadership.

But when we got Brees' head coach out in Miami at a Super Bowl event Wednesday night ... he sure seemed like a guy who was confident he'll have his Hall of Fame QB back in 2020.

Payton wasn't alone in that sentiment ... we also got legendary Saints O-lineman Willie Roaf in Miami as well, and he told us he has ZERO doubts Brees will be back.

"He ain't retiring," Roaf says. "He's coming back one more year ... I promise he's coming back one more year."

The New Orleans Saints are adamantly DENYING helping top Catholic church officials in N.O. cover up sex abuse crimes, despite allegations to the contrary ... this according to court docs.

Here's the deal ... more than 20 men are suing the Archdiocese of New Orleans for employing George F. Brignac, a schoolteacher and deacon who allegedly sexually abused several boys.

Despite allegedly knowing about the abuse, the church continued to employ him as a lay minister until 2018.

Several alleged victims are suing the church for keeping him around while knowing he was a danger to kids.

Now, attorneys for the accusers are going after the Saints -- claiming team executives used their official Saints email accounts to help advise the church on how to deal with the crisis.

In fact, the attorneys claim there are HUNDREDS of emails showing an attempted P.R. effort from the Saints and they want a judge to release them to the public, according to the AP, which broke the story.

The attorneys are pointing the finger at the top Saints people -- including owner Gayle Benson and Senior V.P. of Communications Greg Bensel ... suggesting they aided the Archdiocese of New Orleans in its "pattern and practice of concealing its crimes."

What is known is that Saints owner Gayle Benson is a major backer of her local Catholic archdiocese and she’s given millions to the church ... and, she’s buds with Archbishop Gregory Aymond. Gayle inherited the team when Tom Benson died in 2018.

"Obviously, the Saints should not be in the business of assisting the Archdiocese, and the Saints’ public relations team is not in the business of managing the public relations of criminals engaged in pedophilia," the attorneys for the plaintiffs wrote in the court filing. "The Saints realize that if the documents at issue are made public, this professional sports organization also will be smearing itself."

According to the AP, the Saints have strongly denied the allegations in court filings.

The Saints had no immediate comment when we reached out Friday.

Drew Brees got choked up talking about his former teammate Steve Gleason at his Congressional Gold Medal ceremony Wednesday ... and the moment was insanely emotional.

Gleason was being honored in D.C. for all of the incredible work he's done to fight ALS since his diagnosis back in 2011 ... and when Brees -- Gleason's teammate in New Orleans in 2006 -- stepped up to the mic, he delivered a powerful speech about his good friend.

Brees explained how back in 2011 before a Saints Wild Card game ... he learned of Gleason's tragic diagnosis through an e-mail -- and broke down on the team bus.

But, Drew says Steve was nothing but positive despite the tragic news ... saying he told the Saints QB he was going to live until he was 109 years old!!

"I'm betting on you [to do it], Steve," Drew said with a laugh.

You can tell ... Gleason means A TON to Brees -- 'cause Wednesday was not only Drew's 41st birthday, but his son's 11th as well. But, Brees said, "There is no place we'd rather be than right here, right now."

Gleason's whole ceremony inside of National Statuary Hall was awesome ... everyone from Nancy Pelosi to Chuck Schumer raved about the ex-Saints DB for all of his work fighting ALS.

FYI, Steve's been a pioneer when it comes to helping people live with the disease ... aiding in the creation of speech-generating devices and spearheading the largest coordinated and collaborative ALS research project in the world.

As for his award Wednesday, it's prestigious as hell ... only a handful of Americans have EVER earned the honor -- with Gleason being the first NFL player to do it.

Steve vowed in his speech while accepting the award to continue to fight the disease ... and he pleaded for others to help move humanity into a better place moving forward as well.