Devin McCourty thinks Eric Reid has been ‘a starter since Day 1 in this league’
Reid signed a contract with the Carolina Panthers this week after over six months of free agency.
Patriots safety Devin McCourty was encouraged after the Carolina Panthers signed Eric Reid earlier this week.
“I think that’s great for him,” McCourty said. “He’s a great player, a guy that I think we’ve all watched over the last couple years go out there and make plays. A starter since Day 1 in this league, so I thought that was great just because of what he stands for and what he’s done to not kind of be blackballed from the league and see him out there playing.”
Reid was one of the first players to kneel with teammate and former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in protest against racial inequality and police brutality. The 49ers opted to not re-sign Reid when his contract ended in March.
McCourty has openly supported Reid and Kaepernick, the latter of whom remains unsigned. While Reid was a free agent, McCourty believed that his activism might’ve played a role in his lack of contract offers.
Devin McCourty’s thoughts on why Eric Reid is still an unsigned free agent: pic.twitter.com/46H28PXhiy
— Outside the Lines (@OTLonESPN) March 22, 2018
“I think it’s hard to imagine that anything we do that’s out in front and could be controversial to different people won’t stay with us, but I think we all have deemed the help these people need in these different communities is more important than that,” McCourty said in March.
Kaepernick tweeted to his former teammate, congratulating him signing with Carolina.
Congrats 2 my brother @e_reid35, all pro safety who should have been signed the 1st day of free agency, who has signed a football contract.
He was the 1ST person 2 kneel alongside me. Eric is a social justice warrior, continues to support his family. and communities in need. pic.twitter.com/TsZOaFycYT
— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 27, 2018
Though Kaepernick is still unsigned, McCourty still has hope that the new face of Nike will get a contract offer eventually.
“I think he’s a good player,” McCourty said of Kaepernick. “He’s lead a team, played in a Super Bowl. He’s done a lot of good things in this league so hopefully he gets signed.”
