Patriots WR Julian Edelman, who is Jewish, reaches out to Heat's Meyers Leonard after slur

When it comes to race relations, Julian Edelman is once again trying to build bridges rather than burn them.

The longtime New England Patriots slot receiver reached out on social media to disgraced Miami Heat forward Meyers Leonard, who used an anti-Semitic slur while playing the video game "Call of Duty" Tuesday on Twitch.

Edelman posted an "open letter to Meyers Leonard" on Twitter and Instagram that read:

"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.

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"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."

It's not the first time Edelman has taken such a tack. He did something similar last year when Philadelphia Eagles wideout DeSean Jackson erroneously cited an Adolf Hitler quote on social media. Edelman suggested they get together and visit The Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington. He later said he and Jackson spoke about the matter, though revealed little about their conversation.

Leonard, who will remain away from the Heat for an indefinite period, has apologized on Instagram.

"I am deeply sorry for using an anti-Semitic slur during a livestream yesterday," Leonard wrote. "While I didn’t know what the word meant at the time, my ignorance about its history and how offensive it is to the Jewish community is absolutely not an excuse and I was just wrong.

"I am now more aware of its meaning and I am committed to properly seeking out people who can help educate me about this type of hate and how we can fight it."

The Heat also released a strongly worded statement.

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

Heat owner Micky Arison, and son, Nick, who is the Heat CEO, are Jewish. So is Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie.

Contributing: Jeff Zillgitt

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Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.