Eric Reid’s Grievance Against Bengals Denied By Arbitrator

A grievance filed against the Cincinnati Bengals on behalf of Eric Reid this week was denied by an independent arbitrator, according to ESPN.

panthers safety Eric Reid Files Grievance

After Bengals owner Mike Brown asked Panthers safety Reid if he would continue standing during the national anthem, the NFL Players Association filed the grievance.

Reid was brought in by the Bengals for a free-agent visit but left without signing. The grievance claimed that Cincinnati negotiated in bad faith because the team would refuse to sign Reid if he continued to kneel. Nowhere in the collective bargaining agreement is standing for the national anthem mandated.

According to NFL Network, the arbitrator ruled that the Bengals were within their rights to ask Reid if he would stand or kneel. Reid began kneeling during the anthem during the 2016 season while he was still with the San Francisco 49ers. Current NFL free-agent and activist Colin Kaepernick was his teammate at the time.

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Reid is currently signed to the Carolina Panthers and has continued to kneel during the anthem. Kaepernick, the first player to begin kneeling, remains unsigned and hasn’t played since the 2016 season.

On Sunday, Reid was involved in an argument with Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins after he called Jenkins a “sellout.”

The Bengals have yet to comment on the ruling.

Reid also still has a grievance against the NFL. In May, Reid and his attorney filed the grievance, alleging that team owners and the league — influenced by President Donald Trump — had agreed to blackball him. Kaepernick also filed a similar grievance, which was sent to trial.

Article by Bill Piersa