Panthers' Eric Reid Will Kneel During National Anthem, Reveals When He'd Stop

Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid explained that he will continue kneeling during the national anthem in protest of racial injustice, and he won't stop until he sees more change in the world.

"If a day comes that I feel like we’ve addressed those issues, and our people aren’t being discriminated against or being killed over traffic violations, then I’ll decide it’s time to stop protesting," Reid said, per Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer. "I haven’t seen that happen."

The 27-year-old was one of the first to join Colin Kaepernick in kneeling during the national anthem, and he has continued the protest even though his former San Francisco 49ers teammate has been out of the league since 2016.

The protest made him a divisive player around the league, causing him to go unsigned throughout last offseason before the Panthers brought him on board after Week 3.

He filed a grievance against the league, but he reached a settlement alongside Kaepernick.

Reid made a positive impact on the field, totaling 71 tackles in just 13 games while also continuing to kneel during the national anthem without incident.

This will continue into 2019 as he argues social problems around the United States have only gotten worse since he began his protest.

"It feels like we’re going backwards," Reid said Monday.

"You’d like to think we’re past certain things, the way we treat people," he added. "I thought we were at a time where you love your neighbor as yourself. But as I’ve studied history—it hasn’t repeated itself necessarily, but it’s dressed a little different and is acting the same."