FOXBORO, Mass. — Former San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid finally found a new team Thursday, signing with the Carolina Panthers after more than six months in free agency.
New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty, who has supported Reid and former Niners teammate Colin Kaepernick in their protests against racial inequality and police brutality, said he was glad to see Reid back on an NFL roster.
“I think that’s good for him,” McCourty said Thursday afternoon. “He’s a great player, a guy that I think we’ve all watched over the last couple of years go out there and make plays, a starter since Day 1 in this league. So I thought that was great, just because of what he stands for and what he’s done, to not kind of be blackballed from the league and see him out there playing.”
Reid, whose 49ers contract expired in March, is at the center of a lawsuit, filed by the NFLPA, alleging NFL owners colluded against him, refusing to sign him because he had knelt during the national anthem over the past two seasons. McCourty viewed the Panthers’ decision to bring Reid as a positive step toward ending this “blackballing.”
“I think so, but you never know,” McCourty said. “It’s two guys we’re talking about. One out of two signed, so we’ll see what happens.”
The other player is Kaepernick, who remains unsigned. McCourty hopes that changes soon.
“I hope so, but I don’t know,” he said. “I hope so, though. I think he’s a good player. He’s led a team, played in a Super Bowl. He’s done a lot of good things in this league, so hopefully he gets signed.”
Kaepernick congratulated Reid on social media Thursday, saying the 2013 Pro Bowler should have been signed “on the 1st day of free agency.”
