Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid on Sunday said the time "has not come" to stop kneeling during the national anthem, insisting there is still a need for NFL players to demonstrate.
Eric Reid took a knee during the anthem on Sunday, making him the first Panther to kneel during "The Star-Spangled Banner."
“I’ve always told myself when the time comes to stop kneeling, I will stop," he told The Associated Press. "But that time has not come."
Reid told the AP that he feels empathy for his former teammate Colin Kaepernick, who has still not been signed by an NFL team after being the first to kneel during the national anthem in 2016.
Reid said Kaepernick has been “robbed” of his dream to play in the NFL again.
Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL in October 2017, alleging he is facing discrimination because he participated in the protests.
Players have said the demonstrations are a stand against police brutality and racial injustice.
"Any athlete in the NFL knows how hard you have to work to get here — and his career has been cut short,” Reid said of Kaepernick.
He said there has been "progress" towards racial equality but the fight is not over.
“We have made baby steps, but people try to give crumbs but present them as cakes,” Reid said.
Trump frequently attacks the NFL players for the demonstrations, calling them unpatriotic and anti-police. The president has called out specific players for their participation, calling for them to be kicked out of the league or even leave the country.
The NFL earlier this year created a policy that would have banned players from participating in protests during the anthem, but quickly walked it back after facing pushback.
