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NFL Protester Eric Reid Signs With Carolina Panthers

Took a knee alongside Kaepernick and remained unsigned after last season.

The Carolina Panthers have signed former San Francisco ’49ers safety Eric Reid to a one-year contract, the team announced in a statement Thursday. Reid attracted attention by protesting police brutality and racial injustice during the national anthem during the 2016 season alongside former ’49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. He, like Kaepernick, became a free agent after last season. Reid subsequently filed a grievance letter to the National Football League in October 2017, accusing it of colluding against his employment due to his protest activities. “Eric has been a starting safety in the NFL and has played at a high level throughout his career,” Panthers General Manager Marty Hurney said in a statement. Asked by ESPN if Reid’s grievance with the NFL was a factor in his hiring, Hurney said, “This was a football decision.”