Unsigned ex-49er Eric Reid says he won't kneel during national anthem next season

STANFORD — Eric Reid won't be kneeling during the national anthem next season, and although multiple teams are apparently interested in the former 49ers safety, it remains to be seen when or who will sign him.

'We'll see what happens,' Reid said Thursday. 'I know my agent is in communication with a couple teams. No numbers have been talked about. No visits have been talked about. But we'll see what happens.'

Reid spoke at Stanford's pro day where he came to support his brother, Justin, a potential first-round draft pick as a versatile safety.

Niners general manager John Lynch, also in attendance at his alma mater's pro day, was optimistic that Reid's week-plus stint into free agency will end sooner than later, suggesting Reid won't be ostracized from the NFL the way former 49er Colin Kaepernick has been the past year.

'Eric played well for us last year. I think he's kind of stuck in a safety market that's been quiet,' Lynch said. 'I would anticipate things start to shake for him. We'll see.'

What we won't see this coming season is Reid take a knee during the national anthem, which he started doing in 2016 alongside Kaepernick and continuing through last season.

'We understand you've got to change with the times,' said Reid, the 49ers' 2013 first-round draft pick. 'I'm not saying I'm going to stop being active, because I won't. I'm just going to consider different ways to be active, different ways to bring awareness to the issues of this country.

'I don't think it will be in the form of a protest during the anthem. I say 'during' because it's crazy that the narrative got changed to protesting the anthem because that wasn't the case.'

Reid lashed out on Twitter last week alleging that NFL owners are preventing their personnel directors from signing him, based on his social activism.

Reid's brother said he won't be kneeling during the anthem, and surprisingly that topic never came up during his interviews with 29 teams at the recent NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

'No, I'm not going to protest,' Justin Reid said. 'We each have our own beliefs. He felt that's what he needed to do. I have my own way I'm going to go about it. I'm not as vocal in that aspect. I don't really like drama.'

Justin Reid (6-foot-1, 204 pounds) has pre-draft visits lined up with six teams — the Philadelphia Eagles, the Detroit Lions, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Carolina Panthers, the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks.

That's six more than his brother currently has on his free-agency travel itinerary. A few teams' scouts did wander over and informally chat with Eric Reid during Stanford's pro day, however.

'My brother, the things he's done over the last five years, it speaks for itself if you watch the tapes,' Justin Reid said. 'I'm confident he'll be fine regardless what happens. He's really intelligent. He's a phenomenal football player.'

It's unlikely the 49ers would re-sign the older Reid, simply because they have three other starting-caliber safeties in Jimmie Ward, Jaquiski Tartt and Adrian Colbert. 'I would never say never but I really do think opportunities will come his way,' Lynch said. 'We'll see how that shakes out.'

And what does Lynch think of Reid's younger brother?

'Justin has tremendous versatility to his game,' Lynch said. 'He's played corner, he's played nickel, he's played safety, and he's played them all well.'

The Reid brothers posed for a photo with other family members after Thursday's workout and both brothers beamed with pride.

'This is what I was looking forward to as a kid, to come and train with my brother,' Justin Reid said. 'We're going to be playing against each other most likely this coming year.'

Added Eric Reid: 'When he took his visit to Stanford, we talked a lot about this day coming, him getting ready for the draft. I'm just excited it's here.'