New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel tried to walk the “fine line” he said is in place after his running back, TreVeyon Henderson, seemingly defended the anti-LGBTQ comments made by ex-Chicago Bulls guard Jaden Ivey on Monday.
The Bulls waived Ivey on Monday due to conduct detrimental to the team following a video he posted, where he claimed the NBA was celebrating “unrighteousness” by acknowledging and embracing Pride Month.
Henderson tweeted the video of Ivey, which has now gone viral, and responded with a Bible verse.
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“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” Henderson quoted from Matthew 5:10.
Vrabel was asked about Henderson’s post on Tuesday by reporters.
“I think there is a fine line. I want to tell you, I love TreVeyon,” he said. “I love the person. He cares deeply about our team. He cares deeply about his faith. He cares deeply about his family, his wife, the people in our building. And so I want them to be able to express what they believe in their heart and in their mind, but also want to make sure that they’re educated. And we want to be inclusive.
“Everything we want to do [is] to provide an environment for people to want to feel comfortable, but also to share their personal beliefs. And then also, we represent the team. And we represent the organization.”
Vrabel received a follow-up question, asking if he would talk to Henderson or the team about what transpired on social media. He responded by saying, “I usually try to,” though he noted, “(We’re) never going to tell them how to feel.”
“(We) certainly want to make sure that they understand that their actions represent something more than just themselves,” Vrabel added. “And so I do think there’s a line. We’re always talking about those kinds of things. We’re trying to educate them, no different than myself or you guys or my kids.”
Henderson is coming off his rookie season with the Patriots, racking up 911 yards on the ground with nine touchdowns, helping New England get to the Super Bowl. Henderson had just four starts under his belt in Vrabel’s first year leading the team, as Rhamondre Stevenson was also a key figure in the Patriots’ backfield.
Ivey has been posting similar videos with rants in recent weeks, as the 24-year-old has noted in the past he deals with depression.
“The world can proclaim LGBTQ, right?” Ivey said in his latest video. “They proclaim Pride Month and the NBA. They proclaim it. They show it to the world. They say, ‘Come join us for Pride Month to celebrate unrighteousness.’ They proclaim it. They proclaim it on the billboards. They proclaim in the streets. Unrighteousness. So, how is it that one can’t speak righteousness? Who are they to say that this man is crazy?”
Ivey also claimed in a separate video that Catholicism was a false religion.
Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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