Eric Reid is not stupid. He must’ve known that joining forces with somehow-still-unemployed Colin Kaepernick to protest police brutality, racial injustice and, in his words, “systemic oppression”—namely, by linking arms and kneeling for the requisite pre-game playing of the national anthem—would palpably alter his career trajectory in the NFL. He was right.
As of this writing, Reid is a free agent. Reid’s former employer, the San Francisco 49ers, allowed the one-time Pro Bowler to hit the market five seasons after selecting him with the 18th overall pick back in the 2013 NFL Draft, an understandable decision given the team’s desire to rid themselves of relics from the Trent Balke era.