Safety Eric Reid said on Wednesday that the meeting he and other players had with owners on Tuesday was a solid starting point to ending demonstrations during the national anthem.
“The NFL has agreed to commit to a long-term plan and use their platform to continue to raise awareness the issues that affect our country and to help us feel like we don’t need to protest,” he said. “We’re heading in the right direction.”
Nothing concrete has been put in place but the group discussed a way forward but have kept things in “vague” terms thus far.
But, he did say that he will continue to protest. Not because there is still inequality in the country — which was the original end point, according to former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick — but until the NFL earnestly addresses the players’ concerns.
“It doesn’t change our plans just yet,” Reid said. “… Nothing is going to change on my part moving forward until we get a more concrete plan and I feel like I don’t need to protest anymore because I feel the NFL is providing a better platform.”
Reid met with Kaepernick a day before the meeting and said he hopes that the exiled QB is invited to the next meeting, which is tentatively scheduled to happen sometime in the next two weeks.
jpalmer@sfexaminer.com
