New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson has drawn attention following a social media post Monday night.
Following the Chicago Bulls release of guard Jaden Ivey after he made anti-LGBTQ comments while calling the NBA celebrating Pride Month “unrighteous” on social media, Henderson quoted a post regarding Ivey on X with a Bible verse.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ Matthew 5:10,” wrote Henderson.
Henderson, who has previously been open about his religious beliefs after past battles with sleep paralysis and depression, later posted three additional Bible verses on X.
Speaking Tuesday morning at the NFL annual league meetings, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel addressed Henderson’s posts.
“I think there is a fine line. I want to tell you, I love TreVeyon. 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,” Vrabel said.
“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, wants to provide an environment for people to one, feel comfortable, but also to share their personal beliefs. And then also, we represent the team and we represent the organization.”
Vrabel was then asked whether the situation would be addressed directly with Henderson or the team.
“I usually try to. I think that’s something that we try to do constantly,” he responded. It’s like, somebody asked me last year, ‘How are you going to keep them off their phones?’… We just want to educate them — [we’re] never going to tell them how to feel. Certainly want to make sure that they understand that their actions represent something more than just themselves.
“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.”
