Eric Reid Kneels During National Anthem Before 1st Game with Panthers

Prior to his first game with the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, safety Eric Reid took a knee on the sideline during the national anthem. 

Josh Sims of Fox 46 News in Charlotte shared an image of Reid kneeling:

Reid, along with former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, were the first NFL players to start kneeling in protest during the national anthem in 2016. 

Even when Kaepernick went unsigned as a free agent last season, Reid continued his demonstration with the 49ers. The former Pro Bowler told reporters in March he was considering new ways to continue his activism without protesting during the anthem:

“I’m not saying I’m going to stop being active because I won’t. I’m just going to consider different ways to be active, different ways to bring awareness to the issues of this country and improve on the issues happening in this country. I don’t think it will be in the form of protesting during the anthem. I say during because it’s crazy that the narrative changed to we were protesting the anthem and that wasn’t the case. I think we’re going to take a different approach to how we’re going to be active.”

After seeking a free-agent contract all offseason, Reid signed a one-year deal with the Panthers on Sept. 28. He was named Carolina's starting safety for Week 5 against the New York Giants.