Colin Kaepernick ally Eric Reid joins Carolina Panthers – owned by billionaire critic of Donald Trump

Reid, a 26-year-old safety, joined then-teammate Kaepernick in kneeling for the anthem in 2016 as a means of protesting social injustice and racial inequality in America

Eric Reid, the first NFL player to kneel alongside Colin Kaepernick, has finally found a new team despite his ongoing lawsuit against the league.

Reid, a 26-year-old safety, joined then-teammate Kaepernick in kneeling for the anthem in 2016 as a means of protesting social injustice and racial inequality in America.

Both players have since been released by the San Francisco 49ers and failed to find new jobs, with Reid left unemployed despite an impressive season last year as a safety-linebacker hybrid.

Reid joined Kaepernick in filing an official grievance against the NFL alleging that teams were colluding or had colluded against players that protested during the national anthem.

The Independent understands that Reid has not reached a settlement with the NFL over that case despite signing for the Carolina Panthers on Thursday and thus his case is ongoing.

Carolina tweeted out a picture of Reid with his fist raised as he signed his one-year contract. The Panthers found themselves in desperate need of safety help when starter Da’Norris Searcy was ruled out for at least six weeks with concussion issues. They had initially turned to a third-round rookie, Rashaan Gaulden, for the game against Cincinnati but the youngster struggled and so Carolina turned to Reid.

Eric Reid, right, kneels alongside Colin Kaepernick and Eli Harold (Getty Images)

“Eric has been a starting safety in the NFL and has played at a high level throughout his career,” general manager Marty Hurney said in a statement. “After we put Da'Norris Searcy on injured reserve, Ron (Rivera) and I discussed our options, and Eric was at the top of our list. He is a physical safety with good ball skills and play-making ability.”

The Panthers were bought by billionaire David Tepper this summer, a businessman who has made no secret of his disregard for President Trump. ESPN reports, however, that discussions between Tepper and Reid centred on football and not off-the-field issues.

Reid has a job, then, but Kaepernick, the face of the protest movement, remains unsigned.