Julian Edelman Writes Letter To Meyers Leonard Over Slur Incident

"An open letter to Meyers Leonard," Edelman stated on Instagram.

"So we've never met, I hope we can one day soon. I'm sure you've been getting lots of criticism for what you said. Not trying to add to that, I just want to offer some perspective.

"I get the sense that you didn't use that word out of hate, more out of ignorance. Most likely, you weren't trying to hurt anyone or even profile Jews in your comment. That's what makes it so destructive. When someone intends to be hateful, it's usually met with great resistance. Casual ignorance is harder to combat and has greater reach, especially when you command great influence.  Hate is like a virus. Even accidentally, it can rapidly spread. I'm down in Miami fairly often. Let's do a Shabbat dinner with some friends I'll show you a fun time.

"JE."

Leonard, who is away from the team anyway while recovering from shoulder surgery, found out from his employer that he'll be out indefinitely over this incident.

"The Miami Heat vehemently condemns the use of any form of hate speech," the team said in a statement.

"The words used by Meyers Leonard were wrong and we will not tolerate hateful language from anyone associated with our franchise. To hear it from a Miami Heat player is especially disappointing and hurtful to all those who work here, as well as the larger South Florida, Miami Heat and NBA communities. Meyers Leonard will be away from the team indefinitely. The Miami Heat will cooperate with the NBA while it conducts its investigation."

And there you have it. Julian Edelman creates a possible solution to a problem. Now it's up to Leonard whether he wants to sit down on a Friday night to have a meal.