Eric Reid called his shot months ago.
The 49ers safety said in December he anticipated teams shying away him in free agency because of his politics and his willing to speak about them.
“I wouldn’t use the word concerned,” Reid said then. “I would say I understand that’s a possibility. And I’m completely fine with it. The things that I’ve done, I stand by, and I’ve done that for my own personal beliefs. Like I said, I’m fine with whatever outcome happens because of that.”
And now that free agency is open (and nearly closed), the outspoken safety hasn’t heard a peep and he suspects he knows why.
The notion that I can be a great signing for your team for cheap, not because of my skill set but because I’ve protested systemic oppression, is ludicrous. If you think is, then your mindset is part of the problem too.
— Eric Reid (@E_Reid35) March 15, 2018
Reid followed up to another tweet suggesting General Managers around the league might pass on him, saying: “GMs aren’t the hold up broski. It’s ownership. People who know football know who can play. People who know me, know my character.”
Reid was one of the first players to take a knee alongside quarterback Colin Kaepernick to protest racial inequality and police brutality. Kaepernick’s contract expired and he went away, but Reid continued to take knees, and to then play and play well for the 49ers last year. He even shifted to linebacker out of team need when injuries hit, and is the kind of versatile defender most teams would be lining up for.
But so far, of all the visits and signings we’ve chronicled here at PFT the last week, the only mention of Reid’s name is in our PFT Top 100 Free Agent List. Only 15 players on that list are higher than Reid and still available. In fairness, the safety market is slow, with Earl Thomas potentially available for trade and Tyrann Mathieu on the street along with safeties including Kenny Vaccaro, Morgan Burnett, and Tre Boston.
But it hardly seems a coincidence that Reid’s phone isn’t ringing, and if it continues to not ring, he’ll know why.
