?Left a Marine Sitting There?: NFL Legend Disgusted With Brittney Griner Release Deal

Thursday marked an interesting day in the United States. The Joe Biden administration secured the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner in a swap deal with a Russian serving time in an American prison. While thousands would celebrate the return of Griner, a few Americans were left disappointed at the way this deal was carried out. Griner makes her way home, while a former marine is still serving time in Russia. This idea is something that many American communities, some even in the NFL, have not received very well.

The WNBA star was detained at a Moscow airport in February for possession of vape cartridges that contained cannabis oils. She admitted to her fault earlier in July as she claimed to have carried the oils out of haste in packing.

Brittney Griner finally gets her homecoming

Griner was released on Thursday in a trade deal with the Russians. The Russians secured the release of international arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Read More: ?I Don?t Understand Why..?: Paul Whelan Loses His Cool as Brittney Griner Deal Ignores His Release

Bout has been termed ‘The ?Merchant of Death’ as he has carried out arms deals globally. The UN had accused him of carrying out civil wars in Africa and killing millions of people. As a part of the deal, he was finally released from American custody.?

The Biden administration brought back 2 of its people from the Russians within a span of eight months. Though Griner?s family will celebrate her return, the Biden government has been heavily criticized for their negligence towards Marine, Paul Whelan. Whelan has been in Russian custody since 2018, serving a 16-year jail term for espionage charges. Whelan has so far denied all accusations.?

Boomer Esiason not happy with Joe Biden’s Administration

The release of Griner has been all over the news. The NFL world also used its platform to express its thoughts on the situation. Former NFL quarterback and legend, Boomer Esiason, took to his show on WFAN radio to address the situation.

Esiason didn?t hold back as he expressed his thoughts wholeheartedly. ?I can tell you that right now. I know that we?re all happy that Brittney?s home like we said earlier on. But when you think about the magnitude of what we traded to get back a WNBA professional athlete, and left a Marine sitting there, whose family has been trying for years to get him out of there with nothing, nothing from the U.S. government,? said the former NFL MVP.

The former Bengals’ quarterback felt the Russians leveraged the popularity of Griner to have Bout released. He said, ?It?s not an even swap; it?s not. We all know what happened to Brittney should have never happened.??Dallas Cowboys star, Micah Parsons, and popular NFL analyst, Robert Griffin III, also spoke about this situation.

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While the former WNBA star will be home safe and sound, marine, Paul Whelan will keep suffering in Russian prison until it?s his time. Esiason and others were making a case for him as they feel the American administration did everything in its power to secure a celebrity but wouldn?t do the same for an innocent former government servant.