Michael Thomas Forgives Teammate Drew Brees, 'He Apologized, I Accept'

"Drew showed the ultimate move of a leader. He owned his mistake."

That's Drew Brees' All-Pro teammate, Demario Davis, accepting the QB's apology Thursday ... saying he forgives the future Hall of Famer for his "insensitive" comments on kneeling protests.

"He moved the conversation back to the issue, which he should have spoke on the first time," Davis said on ESPN's "Get Up!", "that's the essence of a leader."

Davis says the country as a whole can learn from Drew's situation ... adding, "When you see Drew Brees come out and say, 'You know what? I missed the point, but now I understand my mistake.'"

"And, 'now I'm going to do everything I can to learn from my black brothers. Learn from the black community and use the resources that I have to help the black community,' I think that's the model of leadership and that's what needs to be modeled and reflected throughout America."

Davis went on to say he doesn't think this issue will linger in New Orleans' locker room ... because he says Brees' actions have always spoken differently than his Wednesday statements.

"I think everybody in the locker room knows the character of Drew Brees," Davis said. "And, Drew is a man of action far beyond words. And, that's what's needed in this moment to bring unity and fix this issue that's plagued our country for so long."

It remains to be seen how the rest of the Saints' roster feels in wake of Brees' apology ... remember, everyone from Michael Thomas to Cam Jordan to Malcolm Jenkins ripped him Wednesday.

In fact, Jenkins straight-up told Brees in an emotional video Wednesday night to "shut the f*ck up."