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The Constitution, Bill of Rights and a conversation: Why Rivera supports player protests

When Carolina signed Eric Reid, a veteran safety who was one of the first NFL players to join Colin Kaepernick in taking a knee during the national anthem, then-Panthers coach Ron Rivera says he took the time to read the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights and all the amendments.

He read the historic documents again last week after Redskins running back Adrian Peterson told reporters that he plans to take a knee before games next season in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

The Redskins coach, who grew up in a military family, said the documents remind us that Americans — including NFL players — have the right to protest.