NFL players union loses Reid grievance case

A grievance case filed by the NFL Players Association on behalf of Eric Reid against the Cincinnati Bengals has been rejected by an arbitrator, the union confirmed on Tuesday. The NFLPA had lodged the case after Reid complained he was asked by the Bengals if he planned to continue kneeling during the playing of the US national anthem before games. Reid, a supporter of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's social justice protests, confirmed that he would continue to kneel. The NFLPA lodged a complaint against the Bengals after claiming their decision not to sign Reid was based on his activism and violated the union's collective bargaining agreement. Reid was signed by the Carolina Panthers earlier this season where he has continued to kneel during the playing of the anthem. The NFLPA expressed dismay over arbitrator Shyam Das's ruling in a statement on Tuesday. "We are disappointed in this decision, especially since the arbitrator affirms the facts which our filing was based upon and provides no in-depth analysis of why management can engage in behavior that violates fair hiring practices," the NFLPA statement said. "Despite this decision, we are thrilled that Eric Reid is back with an NFL club doing the job he loves and our hope is that Colin Kaepernick follows him back to the playing field soon." Kaepernick began kneeling during the anthem in 2016 in order to draw attention to racial injustice following the deaths of several unarmed African American men during confrontations with police. The 30-year-old quarterback has remained an unsigned free agent since being released by the 49ers in 2017. Kaepernick is suing the NFL for collusion, alleging team owners conspired to keep him out of the NFL.