The Panthers signed safety Eric Reid to a one-year contract last Thursday after starter Da’Norris Searcy was placed on injured reserve with two concussions over the span of a month; while Reid was clearly “the best available veteran player that could come in and add to [the] team right away,” according to Ron Rivera, the 26-year old brings with him off-field baggage – he is currently involved in a grievance against the NFL that owners colluded against him to keep him off a roster after he participated in protests against racial inequality during the national anthem. Reid says that his signing in Carolina doesn’t change that grievance, and his suit will continue “without a doubt.”
“Going forward, we feel strong about who he is as a young man,” said Ron Rivera about Reid and the possible ‘distractions’ that may come with signing the former Pro Bowler. “We feel strong about who we are as an organization and ultimately, it always comes back to football – that’s what this is about.”
“I believe we have a strong locker room and I believe the culture there has been in place. This is our eighth season and we’ve got some veteran guys that have been here awhile and understand and have been part of it; guys that [Reid] can lean on and ask questions and be involved with – again, this decision is really all about football as far as we’re concerned.”
While Reid will certainly bring a lot to the Panthers on the field – Rivera says Reid has been studying the playbook since he signed, took 60% of the snaps during Monday’s practice session and could start on Sunday against the Giants – he also brings attention for his off-the-field actions; Reid was the first to kneel during the national anthem with Colin Kaepernick and says he is still “considering” what he’ll do during the anthem this Sunday.
Reid spoke to the Charlotte media for almost 15 minutes on the reasons for his protests, his ongoing case against the NFL, his relationship with Colin Kaepernick, whether he has better hands than Donte Jackson and what he can bring to the Panthers defense.
Read his full comments below:
Can you talk about being here and getting the opportunity to be playing in the NFL?
It’s interesting. It actually came faster than I thought. But I’m happy to be playing football again.
This system also seems to fit your skillset particularly well.
Yeah, it was a good first day; I’m familiar with coverages – we actually use some of the terminology I learned in college, so that was exciting; it kind of makes the transition easier. I’m just excited to be back on the field.
Was it exciting to hear Torrey Smith talk about you the way he did?
We played together – Torrey was a teammate of mine in San Francisco and I appreciate his kind words.
You mentioned that this came together faster than you anticipated, can you take us through the process of how you ended up here?
Those circumstances have to do with my case, so you’ll have to talk to my lawyer about that one.
What are your plans on Sunday, assuming you’re active, in terms of the national anthem?
Again, that information is part of my case so I can’t talk about it.
So can we assume that the case will keep moving forward?
Without a doubt, yes.
When you say that this happened faster than you thought, why is that?
I thought it would take longer.
So that relates to the case, too?
It does.
Can you give some insight into the emotional journey of signing here?
Well, when I got the call, I had just finished working out – I was like ‘Oh, this is surprising’ so I went back and forth with my agent; I said, ‘Let’s do it.”
Sounded like you had more than one team interested, why Carolina?
They had a better offer.
Were the Niners the other team and were there other teams?
Yes and not at the time.
Welcome to Carolina, Eric Reid.
Eric, you’re active in the community. Can you give a look at some of the charity work that you’ve done?
My main goal is to empower my people. Colin Kaepernick and I have done numerous events in the community – recently we went to the Lower East Side Girl’s Club in Harlem, which was a powerful experience because I have two daughters and to see the programs that they have in place for the youth in the inner city is just amazing. It was very powerful – our goal is to use our platform to empower our people and to not only open the door for us, but to build our own building and have our own door, so we want to encourage our people to be strong.
I understand several months ago, you went in a different direction than the Players Coalition; the work you just described with Colin, will that stay on a separate track?
A separate track than the Player’s Coalition? The Player’s Coaltion is an NFL-funded subversion group, so that’s why I removed myself from them and why I keep moving forward with Colin.
What are your personal goals for the rest of the season?
To get into playing shape – although I’ve been training five days a week, there’s nothing like being on the field [and] taking on blocks, chasing after fast guys, so I’m trying to get my conditioning up and then just helping the team. Hopefully, I can make some plays, try to put us in positions to win games. That’s the main goal.
How long do you think it will take you to get into game shape or at least where you’d like to be?
Hopefully by the end of this week.
There was an article in March where you said you wouldn’t be protesting if you played in 2018, is that still the case?
I said that I would be considering other ways and I’m still considering.
Can you elaborate?
No.
Did the Panthers ask you what your plans might be from a protest standpoint?
Not before I signed. But I’ve talked to a couple of people about it and like I said, I’m still evaluating the scope of our country and I’ll make that decision later.
What were your conversations like with David Tepper?
I haven’t actually met him yet.
What do you bring to this defense and do you consider yourself one of the best safeties in the NFL?
I do. I think and I hope I bring some leadership and some presence – I’m extremely excited to be working with Donte [Jackson] – he did go to a great school. He might not need help, though, he’s leading the team in interceptions so maybe he can help me a little. I’m excited to have him on my side.
Between Luke Kuechly & Thomas Davis, you’re joining a defense with a lot of star power, was that part of the appeal of coming to Carolina?
It kind of reminds me of my rookie year [in San Francisco], we had Patrick Willis, Navarro Bowman, Aldon Smith, Justin Smith, Ahmad Brooks, Ray McDonald – we had some guys. And walking on the field today kind of brought me back to that. Julius Peppers is out there and I’m like “Goodness!” So I’m excited to play with those guys.
Captain Munnerlyn said he thought you looked bigger in person than he thought.
I get that. Coming out of high school, all of the scouts told me that I’d be a linebacker. They said 100% – I’ve always been a bigger safety.
What was [Kaepernick’s] reaction to you being signed?
A ton of support. This will be the first time that I’m playing in the season and not having my family with me – so he’s filling in some gaps for me in my absence and I’m extremely appreciative of him for that.
Where’s your family?
In Jersey.
Is there a learning curve coming from the 3-4?
It’s similar – I played in the 4-3 in college, but cover 4 is always cover 4 and cover 3 is always cover 3; you’ve always got 11 people on the field, you just put them in different spots, really it’s just learning the terminology.
Have you spent a lot of time with Mike Adams? Obviously, you two are the field commanders back there.
Today that was the first time I’ve spent time with the guys because of the bye week, but shoot, over 15 years, I know he’s seen it all.
You mentioned Donte, he said that you said you have the best hands in the secondary.
That’s also without a doubt. He dropped two today, so I’ll just leave that out there.
How good is he?
He’s good. He can be great, he just has to work and keep working – he has what it takes.
Do you think your signing will open doors for Colin Kaepernick to sign in the NFL again?
We’ll see.
This summer, you confronted the reality that you might not play football again. Can you explain how strongly you feel about the issue of empowerment that you’re standing behind?
I’ll put it this way. Next year will be 2019 – it will mark 400 years since the first slaves touched the soil in this country; that’s 400 years of systemic oppression, that’s slavery, Jim Crow, New Jim Crow, mass incarceration, you name it – the Great Depression, they came out with the New Deal; black people didn’t have access to those government stimulus packages. The New Deal set up what is now known as the modern day middle class – we didn’t have access to those programs [like] the GI Bill, social security, home loans – none of that. This has been happening since my people have gotten here and so I just felt the need to say something about it.
Being signed, how much more does this give you the opportunity to get the word out?
When we started, Colin and I – nothing will change unless you talk about it. So we’re going to continue to talk about it and we’re going to continue to hold America to the standard that it says on paper, that we’re all created equal, because it’s not that way right now – but we’re going to keep pushing towards that.
When you made this decision to come to Charlotte, did you think you would be supported in those endeavors?
I know the people I have in my corner and that’s all the support I need. There’s always opposition when you speak on topics like I’m speaking on, but I’m a black man in America; I grew up black in America, you can’t tell me what I’ve experienced and what I’ve seen is not true.
You played here two years ago – you and Kap both knelt – if I remember correctly, things were said from the stands like, I’m sure, a lot of games you participated in and protested in. Do you remember what was said here, at a time when a young black man had just been shot by police here, what that experience was like for you here?
I felt those emotions time and time again. You can’t live in your own house in America without getting killed, so it’s powerful. Like I said, I will keep speaking for my people.
