Reid, who filed collusion grievance, is signed
Panthers sign safety, who protested alongside ex-49er Kaepernick
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Eric Reid’s return to the NFL created a buzz around the league on Thursday, six months after he filed a grievance alleging collusion by the NFL to prevent teams from signing him because of his participation in racial injustice protests during the national anthem alongside former San Francisco 49ers teammate Colin Kaepernick.
Some NFL players were excited about the 2013 Pro Bowl safety signing a one-year deal with the Panthers, but were quick to point out they believe Kaepernick should be back in the league as well.
Kaepernick congratulated Reid on Twitter, saying Reid “should have been signed the 1st day of free agency. … He was the 1ST person 2 kneel alongside me. Eric is a social justice warrior, continues to support his family and communities in need.”
Browns running back Carlos Hyde, who played with Reid and Kaepernick in San Francisco, was stunned to hear his former teammate had been picked up by the Panthers.
“For real?” Hyde said following Cleveland’s practice. “I’m so happy for him. It’s been too long.”
Said Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett, “It’s about time.”
As for Reid, who filed his grievance in May, he was mum during the hoopla on Thursday, declining comment through the Panthers and not weighing in on social media except to re-tweet Kaepernick.
The 26-year-old Reid said in March that he doesn’t plan to protest during the national anthem this season. The Panthers have a bye this week and next play at home on Oct. 7 against the New York Giants.
BRONCOS: Tight end Jake Butt tore his left ACL during a walkthrough practice Thursday and is headed for injured reserve for the second straight season. Butt spent his rookie season last year on IR while recovering from the same injury to his other knee. He also tore his right ACL in spring drills as a sophomore at Michigan.
“Jake has worked his tail off to recover from his previous injuries, and we feel terrible for him,” coach Vance Joseph said in a statement after an MRI confirmed the team’s fears .
Butt had eight catches for 85 yards this season for the 2-1 Broncos in his comeback from his last knee injury.
JETS: The team has had headsets go out briefly in each of the team’s first three games.
“Not throwing anyone under the bus, but the button stopped working,” offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates said Thursday. “We’ve tried to correct it.”
Bates stands on the sideline during games while calling plays and sending them through headsets to quarterback Sam Darnold. When the headsets fail, Darnold can’t hear anything from Bates.
“Obviously, we understand that that can happen anytime,” Bates said, “especially in New England.”
EAGLES: Running back Jay Ajayi suffered a back injury in the Week 2 loss in Tampa Bay. As it turned out, he had a small fracture in his back. Ajayi grimaced through the second half of that game, missed the Week 3 win against Indianapolis, but expects to play Sunday in Tennessee.
“That’s basically what happened,” Ajayi said Thursday. “I’ve just got to push through it. … It’s a pain-tolerance thing, at the end of the day. You’ve just got to be able to tolerate the pain and do things to protect it.”
Ajayi said he feels well now and can tolerate the pain. He was a full participant at Thursday’s practice, after missing Wednesday’s session. Darren Sproles, who was out the last two weeks with a hamstring injury, still has not returned to practice.