Eric Reid isn’t being signed by NFL teams for one reason; they believe he’s a liability and draws too much negative backlash for his protesting. He was brought in to work out for the Cincinnati Bengals, and, as a elite safety, things were going smoothly. That was until owner Mike Brown asked him to promise that he wouldn’t protest or kneel during the national anthem. Eric Reid was the first player to join Colin Kaepernick in protesting during the 2016 season and all throughout the 2017 season. He left the Players Coalition, which was a group of players also fighting for racial equality by having owners make financial contributions, in December, because they didn’t include Kaepernick in the discussions with the owners. He objected to both the league and the Players Coalition blackballing Kaepernick. The coalition didn’t include the very person that had started the protests, which makes no sense. While originally considering ceasing his protests, Eric Reid has made it very clear that his humanity isn’t for sale. His political opinions and personhood are separate from his playing skill, and owners have no right to silence him.

How did this protest start? Well, in late 2016, Kaepernick decided he couldn’t stand for a country that discriminated against black people. He said that when the flag represented what it was supposed to represent, and when the country does what it’s supposed to do, he would stand again. Now, two years later, that still hasn’t happened. Eric Reid, who joined Kaepernick in protesting racial inequality, has continued, even in Kaepernick’s absence. Many people have very strong, different opinions on this topic. However, to obscure the message behind the protest, people instead point out how disrespectful and unpatriotic Eric Reid is being. This conversation really started heating up when Trump said that the football players that were protesting were “sons of b****es” and should “get off the field.” In an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, he said, “They could have then suspended him for two games, and they could have suspended him if he did it a third time, for the season, and you would never have had a problem. But I will tell you, you cannot disrespect our country, our flag, our anthem — you cannot do that." This is the main way this conversation gets sidetracked; it all shifts to from police violence and racism to whether kneeling during the anthem is disrespectful to the flag. The thing is, there is nothing wrong with expressing your own opinion, especially when it is protesting the systematic discrimination and racism against black people. Not only is this not disrespectful, Reid should be able to criticize the country he lives in. When we see something wrong with our country, it is our responsibility to try our hardest to fix it. Eric Reid is doing just that. As he said in the New York Times, “It has always been my understanding that the brave men and women who fought and died for our country did so to ensure that we could live in a fair and free society, which includes the right to speak out in protest.” Not only this, but the Constitution says that people have “freedom of speech” and “freedom of expression.” Eric Reid is just expressing his beliefs and opinions in a way that matters.

What Eric Reid was protesting at the start was police brutality, but now it has become so much more. From the biased criminal justice system to the systemic oppression of people of color, Eric Reid is fighting for what he believes is right. Being respectful, but sending a powerful message at the same time, Eric Reid’s kneeling during the national anthem sparked conversations throughout the country. He expressed that he knew his football career could end up like Kaepernick’s. But, he said, “to quote the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., ‘A time comes when silence is betrayal.’ And I choose not to betray those who are being oppressed.” Reid can’t just sit on the sidelines and not speak up; he knows he must address this growing issue. He knows that this protest, this ideal of equality for all Americans, is bigger than his career, bigger than football. Even though he gets enormous amounts backlash and hate, doing the right thing is most often the hardest and most controversial. As he wrote in a New York Times article, “I want to be a man my children and children’s children can be proud of, someone who faced adversity and tried to make a positive impact on the world, a person who, 50 years from now, is remembered for standing for what was right, even though it was not the popular or easy choice.” This protest matters a lot to him, he wants to make a lasting impact in this world. While he might be hated by some now, in 50 years he will be remembered as someone who fought for his beliefs, someone who fought for racial equality. What matters in 50 years is how good of a person you are, and what you leave your kids.

Most people know that the reason Eric Reid isn’t on a team right now has nothing to do with his playing ability. But, if some people are still doubtful, according to Bleacher Report, he’s one of the top ten safeties in the league. One scout said that, in 2017, “Eric Reid was good everywhere…. He was aggressive against the run and didn't miss too many tackles. He had no problem going out wide or playing in slot coverage, either. Look for the impending free agent to have a big impact for whoever he plays for.” It’s clear that owners and teams have other reasons to not sign him, and they can’t use the excuse that he isn’t good enough, because he is. If Eric Reid hypothetically agreed to stop protesting, to stop kneeling, he would have a job by tomorrow. But, he fights for what is right, and what he believes in. If Eric Reid helps diminish racial prejudice and discrimination in our country, if he has an impact so that African Americans aren’t getting shot and arrested for no good reason, then that’s what matters. Even if he didn’t play another down of football in his life, I think he would be okay with that, knowing that he changed our country, and this world, for the better. Because, at the end of the day, Eric Reid’s kids will grow up knowing their dad was someone who made positive contributions to this world, and that’s really what matters.

Postscript:
Since I wrote this, the NFL has created a new policy in which they will fine teams who “don’t show proper respect” for the National Anthem. Teams will then have the option to fine individual players. Honestly, this is an absurd idea. The NFL has no right to fine a team for a player exercising their Constitutional rights. This decision from the owners just shows how disconnected they are from their players. If they weren’t, they would just acknowledge the basic fact that players can exercise their right to protest, and fans should respect that right. But, they won’t do this, because this would mean giving up power to the players. From the beginning, this protest was about racial inequalities and police violence. Now it’s also about labor rights, and the sooner we realize this, then the sooner we can start having honest and real conversations and create change.