Kaepernick applauds after Eric Reid kneels during anthem in first game back in NFL

He took a knee before the Panthers’ 33-31 win over the New York Giants in Charlotte, N. C.

 

For all of the talk of the NFL effectively blackballing Colin Kaepernick after he began protesting police brutality and racial injustice in 2016, a name often forgotten is that of his former San Francisco 49ers teammate Eric Reid.

On Sunday, Reid, signed by the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 28 while the team was on its bye week, played in his first game this season and continued his protests, taking a knee before the Panthers’ 33-31 win over the New York Giants in Charlotte.

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Like Kaepernick, Reid is suing the NFL over collusion for keeping him out of the league because of the protests. While detractors continue to insist wrongly that the former Super Bowl quarterback Kaepernick is simply out of the league due to lack of talent, no such case can be made for why the former Pro Bowl defensive back Reid was left out.

During this past offseason, Reid went unsigned by all 32 teams after becoming a free agent, with only one team, the Cincinnati Bengals, even bringing Reid in for a workout. Bengals’ owner Mike Brown allegedly asked Reid for assurance that he would not kneel during games.

When Reid refused, he went unsigned. The Panthers finally signed Reid, which set off celebrations among player around the league.

He saw his first action of the season on Sunday in the Panthers’ last-second victory. Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who stood next to Reid as he knelt, said after the game that all he cares about is winning and he has Reid’s back.

“Anything he stands for as a teammate, I stand with him,” Newton said to reporters after the game. “I didn’t see a distraction today. You have to respect it.”

Reid was back in the league and on the field while Kaepernick remains out of the league. It was a point that Reid made clear after the game didn’t set well with him.

It’s bittersweet,” Reid told reporters after the game. “We won the game, but Colin is home with my kids. He should be playing.”

Reid said that he told head coach Ron Rivera before the game that he would kneel and added that he was not asking for permission. Kaepernick chimed in on Twitter and acknowledged two other players – Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson, both of the Miami Dolphins – who continue to take knees during the anthem.

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