Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid took a knee on Sunday during the national anthem prior to his first game back on an NFL team since remaining unsigned for the first month of the season.

The Associated Press reported that Reid was the only member of his team to protest during the anthem, and the first Panthers player to ever take a knee during the "Star-Spangled Banner."

Reid was one of the first NFL players to take a knee alongside then-teammate Colin Kaepernick during the 2016 season to protest social injustice. He remained unsigned following the end of the 2017 season, and speculated that it was because of his decision to kneel during the anthem.

Reid filed a collusion grievance against the league in May after he remained unsigned for several months.

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The Panthers signed him on Sept. 27, but Reid initially said he was unsure whether he would continue to protest. While dozens of players took a knee, raised a fist or remained off the field during the anthem last year, only a few have continued to demonstrate so far this season.

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Kaepernick has still not been signed by an NFL team, and has a collusion case pending with the league. Nike launched an ad campaign earlier this month featuring Kaepernick with the message, "Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything."

President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE has seized on the anthem protests to rail against the NFL, and has singled out players who have demonstrated. He has called on those players to be fired, and has suggested they don't belong in the country.

NFL owners initially caved to pressure from Trump and his supporters earlier this year when they approved a policy that would fine players who kneel during the anthem. However, the league later put that policy on hold, and no such penalties were implemented for the start of the season.

The NFL and its players reached an agreement late last year to address social justice issues raised by Kaepernick and other players, particularly focused on minority communities.

The agreement allotted $89 million in funding over seven years from the league for social justice projects. It also stipulated that each team owner can put up $250,000, with the players expected to match that amount.