Two days removed from Ron Rivera saying that the Panthers were comfortable with their current safety situation, they went out and got a little bit more comfortable by signing former first-round pick and Pro Bowler Eric Reid to a one-year contract.
The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Reid earned both Pro Bowl and All-Rookie honors in his first season after starting all 16 games for the 49ers and recording 92 tackles, four interceptions, 11 passes defensed and one fumble recovery as the 49ers finished 12-4 with the seventh fewest yards allowed through the air and the fifth-best defense overall. He started all three playoff games for the 49ers that season, helping the team to an NFC Championship game appearance.
Last season, Reid started 12 of 13 games played, registering 66 tackles, two interceptions, four passes defensed and one fumble recovery. For his career, Reid has started 69 of 70 regular season games played, tallying 375 tackles, 10 interceptions, 34 passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
“Eric has been a starting safety in the NFL and has played at a high level throughout his career,” general manager Marty Hurney said via the team website. “After we put Da’Norris Searcy on injured reserve, Ron (Rivera) and I discussed our options, and Eric was at the top of our list. He is a physical safety with good ball skills and play-making ability.”
Reid, the 49ers 2013 first-round pick and 2014 Pro Bowler, hasn’t been with an NFL team since his rookie contract expired with San Francisco – while other safeties like Tre Boston and Kenny Vaccarro were eventually signed after sitting without a job long past many expected, Reid remained jobless, with most assuming his status stemmed from his protests against social injustice and police brutality during the national anthem in 2016 and 2017.
Reid filed a collusion grievance against NFL owners under the collective bargaining agreement in May, arguing that he – and former teammate Colin Kaepernick – are being punished for their protests. Reid has said in the past that he is not planning to kneel or otherwise protest during the anthem, but an April visit with the Bengals – one of the only team meetings for one of the top safeties available in free agency – did not result in the free agent signing with Cincinnati after a meeting with owner Mike Brown. Last season, Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers stayed in the locker room during the national anthem for their Week 3 game against the Saints, saying after the game that there were “only a few times in a man’s life where you have a chance to stand up for something you believe in and make a statement so today I thought that was that chance and I took it.”
With Searcy on injured reserve, the Panthers had only three safeties – veteran and starter Mike Adams, special teams captain Colin Jones and rookie Rashaan Gaulden – on the active roster heading into their Week 3 win over Cincinnati; Rivera said Tuesday that short notice may have contributed to them not adding a safety to their roster, choosing to roll with the three that already knew the system. Reid will likely start next to Adams and has experience at both the free and strong safety position; he has played both as recently as the 2017 season.
The Panthers are currently on bye and will next play against the New York Giants at Bank of America Stadium at 1p next Sunday.
