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By Rickey Hampton, Editor and Founder of TheAfricanAmericanAthlete.com
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ormer San Francisco 49ers’ safety Eric Reid has yet to sign with a new team during NFL free agency, and there is a very good chance that he won’t get signed.
Reid joined teammate Colin Kaepernick during his protest of injustice and inequality during the 2016 season, and he carried on that practice of kneeling during the during the ’17 season.
And, now, he could be paying the price. Reid, 26, is a five-year veteran from Baton Rouge, La., where he attended LSU, can play safety, and even some linebacker. He is a solid, experienced young player who still has room to get better. However, so far during NFL free agency which began last week he hasn’t found any interest from a team.
And Reid knows it has absolutely nothing to do with his abilities as a player.
“GMs aren’t the hold up. It’s ownership. People who know football know who can play,” Reid stated via Twitter. “People who know me, know my character.”
“Narrative is powerful so I have to set it straight. There are a lot of false narratives out there. I hope y’all are paying attention.
Reid is on point. NFL owners, which are all white with the exception of Jacksonville’s Shahid Khan, are clearly determined to make their league a place where the players are expected to show up, shut up, and play.
Those who don’t do those things will be punished.
Speaking of punished, Reid’s former teammate Colin Kaepernick, released a video of him going through passing drills. Kaepernick is hoping to play in the NFL next season after going unsigned last season.
Kap looked great in drills, and we know his resume says he is more than qualified to be on an NFL roster. The same should be said for Eric Reid.
The problem is they have two things working against them. They are black, and they were not afraid to point out injustice.
And that’s enough for NFL ownership to shut them down. Click the link to watch Reid in action.
