Eric Reid announced that he has yet to be picked up as a free agent, and he believes it is because of his public support of Black Lives Matter and Colin Kaepernick.
On Thursday, the former San Francisco 49er safety tweeted his sentiments publicly and didn’t hold back.
“The notion that I can be a great signing for your team for cheap, not because of my skill set but because I’ve protested systemic oppression, is ludicrous,” Reid tweeted. “If you think is [sic], then your mindset is part of the problem too.”
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According to Yahoo Sports, Eric Reid was one of the first players to kneel in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick in 2016, and he repeated his protest again during the 2017 season.
The NY Daily News says Eric Reid had an inclination that his protests would negatively effect his career.
“I would say I understand that’s a possibility,” Reid reportedly said. “And I’m completely fine with it. The things that I’ve done, I stand by, and I’ve done that for my own personal beliefs. Like I said, I’m fine with whatever outcome happens because of that.”
Still—being faced with the nightmare that his standing for equality should change the trajectory of his life, is not an easy pill to swallow.
Reid further commented on Thursday that he doesn’t believe it’s the General Managers who wants to see him out, but the league owners.
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In response to a tweet referencing the fact that GMs may be offended by his stance, he wrote, “GMs aren’t the holdup broski. It’s ownership.”
“People who know football know who can play,” he continued. “People who know me, know my character.”