SANTA CLARA – Safety Eric Reid, one of the most outspoken members of the NFL players’ protest, has quit the Players’ Coalition, a group of players seeking social change with the NFL. The group’s top representatives are Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins and former 49ers receiver Anquan Boldin.
Reid tweeted that he was leaving the coalition earlier on Wednesday.
“I haven’t been satisfied with the structure of the coalition or the communication with Malcolm speaking with the NFL on his own on behalf of protesting players,” Reid said. “He doesn’t protest. We communicated these concerns to him numerous times, and have had numerous conversations about it. Our concerns have not been reflected on how the organization is being run, so I feel I need to make a departure from it.”
Reid wanted more demonstrating players involved in discussions with the NFL. Jenkins and Boldin took the conversations on their own according to Reid. The NFL aim in meeting with players is getting them to end their protest. However no deal has been struck with the NFL and as many as two dozen players demonstrated during the national anthem before NFL games last week.
Reid also didn’t like the fact that Jenkins had banned the protest originator, former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, from any meeting with the coalition and the NFL.
In Philadelphia, Jenkins was surprised that Reid and Dolphins safety Michael Thomas left the group.
“Whenever you get as many players as we have involved in the coalition — we’ve got guys represented from almost every team — there’s always differences of opinion,” Jenkins said. “But I feel like everybody’s been included, they’ve been informed and it’s been a pretty transparent process.”
There has been a proposal to donate over $100 million to player coalition causes. However Reid said that proposal is meaningless because it hasn’t been presented to the owners yet. Until the donation is approved, Reid and others don’t feel they can end their protest. Reid also suggested that the league partner with players to raise awareness and not just donate money. Reid has said in the past that if the NFL can use it’s massive platform to raise awareness, players would feel no need to protest.
Reid is far from abandoning the cause of fighting systemic oppression. He plans on forming his own non-profit. Reid said he has talked to other players about joining his effort.
For now, Reid will be involved with the upcoming cleats for causes campaign, where players put names of their causes on the football cleats. Reid plans to scrawl “Know Your Rights” the non-profit started by Kaepernick on his cleats.
“It’s just powerful the thing he does for these kids in these under resourced communities” Reid said of Kaepernick’s “Know Your Rights” campaign. “The knowledge that he gives them that they don’t learn in school. These are the things we should be doing in the community. I don’t know why Colin is being condemned for that.”