Former San Francisco 49ers safety, and current NFL free agent, Eric Reid has reportedly filed a collusion grievance against the NFL over his employment status, according to ESPN.
Reid, who was one of the first players to join Kaepernick two years ago in kneeling during the national anthem, remains unsigned after becoming a free agent in March when his rookie contract with the 49ers expired. Reid believes that he hasn't received interest from teams this off season due to his protests, though multiple executives, including Niners GM John Lynch, have cited a "slow" market at safety.
Last month, ProFootballTalk reported that Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown asked Reid during a recent meeting whether he planned to continue kneeling during the anthem. Reid has said that he plans to stop protesting but he did not receive a contract offer from the Bengals and has not had a free agent visit with any other teams this off-season.
According to ESPN, the claims in the 26-year old safety's grievance are similar to those of Kaepernick's. Additionally, Reid is working with attorney Mark Geragos, who also represented Kaepernick in the quarterback's collusion grievance against the NFL.
The NFL Players Association released the following statement regarding Reid's grievance against the league: “Our union is aware that Eric Reid and his legal representatives filed a collusion claim, which will be heard through the arbitration process as spelled out in our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Our union supports Eric and we are considering other legal options to pursue.”
