NFL and Players Union Defends Drug Testing of Eric Reid

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A joint statement co-authored by the National Football League and its players union defended the decision to administer a series of drug tests with the help of drug detox center to the Panthers’ Eric Reid, reiterating the organization’s ban against performance-enhancing drugs and stating that Reid was not singled out in the testing process.

Reid had claimed that the NFL and its team had colluded against him in an effort to dissuade him from protesting the national anthem. Reid, a former San Francisco 49er, was one of the first players to kneel with Colin Kaepernick during the national anthem in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

The joint statement noted, “We take any claim questioning the integrity of our collectively bargained performance-enhancing drug policy seriously.” The NFL and players union explained that an independent administrator reviewed the drug testing policy, examined Reid’s claims of targeting, and concluded that the computer algorithm that generated Reid’s test did so in proportion to the tests run on other players. Thus, there was no evidence of targeting.

This season, Reid has participated in demonstrations as a member of the Panthers, continuing to kneel during the anthem amid continuing controversy.

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