The NFL players’ union has filed a non-injury grievance on behalf of free agent safety Eric Reid, the former San Francisco 49ers safety who knelt alongside Colin Kaepernick during the protest against racial injustice in the United States.

The NFL Players Association issued a statement on Monday citing a team appearing “to have based its decision not to sign a player based on the player’s statement that he would challenge the implementation of a club’s policy prohibiting demonstration” during the national anthem.

Anthem protester Eric Reid files grievance alleging he is being kept out of NFL Read more

League policy does not prohibit demonstrating during the anthem. Referring to the labor agreement with the league, the union notes that NFL rules supersede any conflicting club rules.

The union also says “at least one club owner has asked pre-employment interview questions about a player’s intent to demonstrate. We believe these questions are improper, given league policy.”



While the union did not name the team in question, the Washington Post reported on Monday the grievance is connected to the Cincinnati Bengals, Reid’s only known free agency visit this offseason.

The NFLPA’s actions come days after the 26-year-old filed a separate collusion grievance against the NFL with his attorney Mark Geragos alleging he has been kept out of the league due to his political stance.

Reid’s deal with the 49ers expired in March and he has yet to receive a formal offer from any other team.

On playing ability alone Reid would have expected to receive more attention: in 2013 he was named to the Pro Bowl as a rookie after being drafted in the first round and has had a solid career since.

The five-year veteran is firmly in his prime and, after being shuffled about in San Francisco’s defense, his head coach Kyle Shanahan said Reid had been “playing his best football” at the end of last season.

Reid did meet with the Bengals during the offseason but was not offered a contract. Pro Football Talk said Reid was asked during the meeting whether he would continue to protest and the player said he did not plan to. Some figures in the game say Reid’s situation is down to a slow market for safeties this offseason.

Kaepernick has already filed a grievance of his own, alleging NFL teams and owners have colluded to keep him out of the league. Both Reid and Kaepernick’s grievances have been filed under under the NFL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.

“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,” the NFLPA said in a statement Wednesday. “Our union supports Eric and we are considering other legal options to pursue.”

Reid started to kneel alongside Kaepernick in 2016 after consulting with former NFL player and military veteran Nate Boyer on how they could protest respectfully. He then knelt during the anthem for the entire season.

He planned to stand for the anthem during the 2017 season but knelt again after the violent far-right protests in Charlottesville in August of that year.

Reid’s younger brother, Justin, will enter the league this season after being drafted by the Houston Texans last weekend. Despite being touted as a first- or second-round selection by most evaluators he ended up dropping to the third round.