Reid quits group talking with NFL on justice issues
Eric Reid said he ended his involvement with the Players Coalition after he received a recent text message from one of its leaders, Philadelphia safety Malcolm Jenkins, asking if he would end his protest during the national anthem if the NFL donated a reported $89 million to social-justice causes.
The 49ers’ safety said he’d already had misgivings about the coalition, which has been working to advance socialjustice reform. The group includes about 40 players and is led by Jenkins and former 49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Reid thought the NFL was communicating primarily with Jenkins and Boldin, who he said weren’t effectively representing the group.
Miami safety Michael Thomas also announced his withdrawal from the coalition for the same reason. Reid said there were other players who were leaving the group.
The text “was the last straw for me,” Reid said. Jenkins “had a conversation with the NFL. We had agreed that multiple people would be in on all conversations with the NFL — it wouldn’t be just him solely. So he didn’t stand by his word on that. At no point did we ever communicate that an agreement with the NFL would end the protests. So for him to come to that point with the league, it was the last straw for me.”
Last year, Reid began kneeling with quarterback Colin Kaepernick a week after Kaepernick’s protest sparked a national conversation. Reid has continued to protest this year while continuing to stress that his stance during the anthem is about racial injustice. ESPN reported the NFL’s proposal to donate $89 million.
“When I started this, it wasn’t to get funds from the NFL, it was to raise awareness,” Reid said. “… A couple million dollars in the grand scheme of our country, it has to be bigger than the NFL. … I give kudos to the NFL for wanting to step up and help us with regard to systemic oppression. I question their intent behind it. I personally think they just want the protests to end because it’s affecting their bottom line.”
On Wednesday morning, Reid and Thomas announced, via identical statements on Twitter, that they were withdrawing from the coalition.
“For this to now be less about the actual work and more about who wants to be in the forefront or be the leader is disappointing,” Jenkins said to ESPN. “It’s especially disappointing for us to hear this in the media and now be put in a position where we have to answer all of these questions. All of these conversations could have been between us as players.”
Reid said Jenkins kicked Kaepernick out of the coalition after a meeting with NFL owners in New York in October. Reid said Jenkins was the administrator of a group-message chain and removed Kaepernick from the group. Roster moves: The 49ers promoted rookie running back Jeremy McNichols from the practice squad and re-signed offensive lineman Tim Barnes to occupy the roster spots of running back Raheem Mostert and offensive lineman Erik Magnuson, who were placed on injured reserve.
Mostert (knee) and Magnuson (foot) were injured in Sunday’s 24-13 loss to the Seahawks.
The team signed linebacker Boseko Lokombo and cornerback Channing Stribling to the practice squad. It released defensive lineman Noble Nwachukwu from the practice squad.