Colin Kaepernick is stoked his former teammate is continuing on with the national anthem protests this year ... shouting out Panthers safety Eric Reid as "unwavering" for carrying on the kneeling.
"Unrelenting. Unflinching. Unapologetic," Kaepernick added. "Love you Brother!"
Kaepernick first started kneeling during the Star Spangled Banner back in 2016 when he was the San Francisco 49ers' quarterback. He was later joined in that protest by then-teammate Reid.
After Kaep was cut by the Niners ... Reid continued to protest in the NFL -- even after he was signed by Carolina last season.