On Wednesday, Reid was in New York with Kaepernick as the pair gave away backpacks to the Lower East Side Girls Club of New York. On Thursday, his former 49ers teammate was congratulating him on his new contract
After going unsigned over the off-season and filing a grievance against the NFL, accusing all 32 owners of colluding against him in retaliation for protesting during the national anthem, former San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid was signed by the Carolina Panthers on Thursday.
The 26-year-old former Pro Bowl selection had been a free agent for six months.
‘Congrats 2 my brother @e_Reid35, all pro safety who should have been signed the 1st day of free agency, who has signed a football contract,’ read a congratulatory tweet from Kaepernick. ‘He was the 1ST person 2 kneel alongside me. Eric is a social justice warrior, continues to support his family. and communities in need.’
According to multiple reports, that grievance remains active despite Thursday’s deal with the Panthers, which did not require Reid to dismiss or settle the claim. Panthers owner David Tepper was involved in conversations that led to Reid’s signing, but the discussions remained about football and did not cover the subject of the anthem, according to multiple reports.
Eric Reid (far right) joined Colin Kaepernick (center) in protesting inequality and racist police brutality during in 2016. Both players have since filed collusion lawsuits against the NFL
Reid (right) and Kaepernick attended the 2018 U.S. Open, where they watched Serena Williams
‘This is strictly a football decision,’ Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said. ‘On every decision, we ask ourselves if the guy has the skill set and the ability as a football player, if he fits into our scheme, and if he can help us win football games. And the answer to those three questions was yes.’
The team’s previous owner, Jerry Richardson, allegedly cut Marcus Ball for simply making a gesture during the anthem, the current Canadian Football League linebacker claimed in an open letter published by Sports Illustrated.
Richardson was forced to sell the team amidst accusations of racially insensitive and sexually suggestive comments towards employees.
In 2016 Reid became the first player to protest alongside Colin Kaepernick, who refused to stand during the national anthem as a way to raise awareness about inequality and racist police brutality. Since opting out of his contract in March of 2017, Kaepernick remained unsigned as the ongoing protests continued to generate controversy.
In November of 2017 Kaepernick first filed a lawsuit against the NFL with the help of attorney Mark Geragos, accusing the owners of colluding in retaliation for the protests. The NFL Players Association filed a lawsuit on Reid’s behalf in May, accusing the league of being influenced by President Donald Trump, who has been highly critical of the protesting players and even referred to them as ‘sons of b******.’
Reid said in March that he did not plan to protest during the anthem in 2018, though he emphasized that he would remain active in his efforts in other ways.
According to multiple reports, that grievance remains active despite Thursday’s deal with the Panthers, which did not require Reid to dismiss or settle the claim. Panthers owner David Tepper (left) was involved in conversations that led to Reid’s signing, but the discussions remained about football and did not cover the subject of the anthem, according to multiple reports. The team’s previous owner, Jerry Richardson (right), allegedly cut Marcus Ball for simply making a gesture during the anthem. Richardson was forced to sell the team amidst accusations of racially insensitive and sexually suggestive comments towards employees.
The Panthers were in desperate need of a safety after veteran Da’Norris Searcy suffered a concussion and was placed on injured reserve.
Panthers wide receiver Torrey Smith, who previously played with Reid in San Francisco, lobbied for the team to sign him after Searcy’s injury.
‘Honestly, with our injuries I hope he ends up here,’ Smith said of Reid. ‘I know how he is as a talent. If this is something where they come and talk to me about him I’ll be glad to talk about him as a player, as a person. He’s one of the best men I’ve been around, so I hope that is something that can happen for us because I know that with the injuries we have he’s a guy that can help this team.”
‘I really hope he gets a shot. He deserves it and it’s not right what’s happened to him.”
Smith also said he believes that Kaepernick should be playing as well, joining NFL stars Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers in expressing that opinion. A year ago, Rodgers, the Packers quarterback, told ESPN that he believed Kaepernick was not in the league because of the protests.
The Panthers are off this week, but face the New York Giants on October 7.
‘Eric has been a starting safety in the NFL and has played at a high level throughout his career,’ Hurney said in a statement. ‘After we put Da’Norris Searcy on injured reserve, Ron [Rivera] and I discussed our options, and Eric was at the top of our list.’
Reid spent his first five seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, who selected the LSU product 18th overall in the 2013 NFL Draft. He earned Pro Bowl honors as a rookie and has collected 10 interceptions and defensed 36 passes in 70 career games (69 starts).
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan said last month that the team opted to re-sign safety Jaquiski Tartt long-term instead of Reid, and the team didn’t think Reid would be interested in a low-cost contract with a backup role.
After hitting free agency in March, Reid drew little interest from teams. He visited the Cincinnati Bengals in April, where owner Mike Brown reportedly asked Reid if he planned to continue kneeling during the anthem, but no contract offer was given. In August, the Tennessee Titans reportedly scheduled Reid for a visit, but he had multiple flights canceled because of weather, and the team signed Kenny Vaccaro instead.
On Wednesday, Reid was in New York with Kaepernick as the pair gave away backpacks to the Lower East Side Girls Club of New York.