Reid rips Jay-Z over Kap remarks, take care of NFL

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers security Eric Reid on Friday blasted rapper Jay-Z for suggesting “we have moved previous kneeling” in the course of the nationwide anthem as a protest in opposition to social injustice.

Reid additionally steered Jay-Z’s new partnership with the NFL to assist with leisure and social justice was a “cash transfer” that undercuts former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been with out an NFL job because the 2016 season when he and Reid started kneeling to protest police brutality and social injustice.

Reid, who made his remarks whereas carrying a black No. 7 Kaepernick jersey with “#IMWITHKAP” on the entrance, kneeled in the course of the anthem earlier than Friday evening’s preseason recreation in opposition to Buffalo, simply as he has each recreation since arriving at Carolina final season.

“For one, when has Jay-Z ever taken a knee to return out and inform us that we’re previous kneeling?” Reid mentioned. “Sure, he is carried out a whole lot of nice work, a whole lot of nice social justice work.

“However so that you can receives a commission to enter an NFL press convention and say that we’re previous kneeling? Once more, asinine. Gamers Coalition 2.zero, he acquired paid to take the bullets he is taking now as a result of we’re not having it.”

Reid has been hammering Jay-Z on Twitter because the partnership with the league was introduced earlier within the week.

Responding to 1 tweet, Reid wrote: “You & some others appear to misconceive that we had no beef with the NFL till they began perpetuating the systemic oppression that we’re preventing by blackballing Colin after which me. Nah I will not stop enjoying however I can be a royal ache within the NFL’s a** for appearing like they care about individuals of colour by forming quite a few disingenuous partnerships to handle social injustice whereas collectively blackballing Colin, the one that introduced oppression and social injustice to the forefront of the NFL platform.”

Reid mentioned the NFL is hiding behind Jay-Z’s “black face” with the brand new deal.

“The [injustice] that is occurred to Colin, they get to say, ‘Look, we care about social justice, we care in regards to the black neighborhood as a result of we’re with Jay-Z,'” Reid mentioned. “Jay-Z is doing the work for them. Everyone knows that it is unjust that Colin is not in an NFL locker room, the best way he misplaced his job. However they get to fake they care about social justice.”

The Nationwide Soccer League Gamers Affiliation filed a grievance in opposition to the league in Could 2017 on behalf of Reid and Kaepernick, alleging collusion amongst league house owners to disclaim them jobs for the 2018 season.

The Panthers signed Reid to a one-year deal in late September with the approval of recent proprietor David Tepper, a transfer most within the group thought by no means would have occurred beneath former proprietor Jerry Richardson. Reid, 27, acquired a three-year, $22 million deal this previous offseason.

Reid has continued to kneel in the course of the anthem and has remained outspoken on social injustice. He additionally waged a battle with the Gamers Coalition after it obtained about $89 million from the league for efforts and applications to fight social inequity.

Reid referred to as Philadelphia security Malcolm Jenkins, a co-founder of the coalition, a “sellout” for the deal after final season’s recreation in opposition to the Philadelphia Eagles.

“I may very well be utterly flawed, however because the $89 million greenback announcement with the Gamers Coalition, what’s come of that?” Reid mentioned. “We get to fake we care about social justice. We get to fake we care in regards to the black neighborhood, and we get to cover behind Malcolm Jenkins’ face, and we get to cover behind Jay-Z’s face and never do something.”

Requested if it might be higher if Kaepernick had a seat on the desk in all of this, Reid mentioned, “It will be higher if Colin had a job.”

Reid mentioned he has lobbied for Tepper to rent Kaepernick.

“It is the identical factor everyone says: ‘We have now a quarterback, we now have a backup,'” Reid mentioned.

After watching Carolina backups Kyle Allen and Will Grier wrestle in a 27-14 loss to Buffalo, Reid was requested if Kaepernick could be candidate to again up starter Cam Newton.

“Colin may help each NFL staff, at the start,” Reid mentioned. “We didn’t play our greatest soccer tonight. So I am not going to throw our guys beneath the bus and say they need to lose their jobs. All of us performed horrible at this time. However Colin may help out each NFL staff.”

Reid mentioned the window for Kaepernick, 31, to get an NFL job is shrinking, and that the transfer by the NFL to associate with Jay-Z suits the sample he has watched occur over the previous yr.

“Jay-Z made a cash transfer,” Reid mentioned. “He is capitalized on this example. No person to my data talked about social justice earlier than Colin began protesting. That was not a subject of the NFL off the sphere. For Jay-Z to return in and associate to handle social justice, do it behind Colin’s again, receives a commission to do it … I haven’t got phrases.”