© Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports
Per reports, former 49ers safety Eric Reid had his first meeting with an NFL team this offseason, when he visited the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday. The conversation was…interesting, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who wrote Wednesday morning that Reid’s discussion with Bengals owner Mike Brown almost exclusively centered around the topic of Reid’s kneeling during the national anthem.
“Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Brown personally met with Reid when Reid visited the Bengals on Monday. Brown, according to the source, initiated discussion regarding the issue of kneeling during the anthem. The conversation almost exclusively centered on the topic, with Brown explaining that he intends to prohibit it — and with Brown at one point asking Reid for his response.”
Reid, who has previously stated that he is unlikely to kneel this season, was reportedly thrown off by the line of questioning, but reiterated his stance, even though he also implied he wouldn’t do so at the behest of Brown.
Reid then met with the Bengals position coaches who spoke exclusively about football matters. The topic was brought up again by head coach Marvin Lewis toward the end of the visit, where Reid was asked if he wanted to clarify any of his remarks about the kneeling “issue.” Reid said he did not, and left the facility without a contract offer.
Reid, 26, was ranked as the 30th best safety in the NFL last year according to Pro Football Focus, and has a market value of $8.6 million per year, according to Spotrac.