Panthers safety Eric Reid is a former teammate and close friend of Colin Kaepernick, so it was no surprise that reporters came to him for comment about the workout the NFL arranged for Kaepernick in Atlanta this Saturday.
It wasn’t the first conversation that Reid has had about Kaepernick potentially returning to play recently. He told reporters he spoke to Panthers owner David Tepper about signing Kaepernick in the wake of Cam Newton’s trip to injured reserve last week.
“He said if they were looking to add a veteran quarterback that [Kaepernick) would be evaluated,” Reid said, via Joseph Person of TheAthletic.com. “And I told him I’d hold him to that.”
Because the Panthers showed no interest in Kaepernick at that time, Reid said “we’ll see if they’ll send somebody” to this weekend’s workout. Panthers coach Ron Rivera referred questions to General Manager Marty Hurney, who declined to comment about an event that Reid’s not sure is entirely what it might appear to be.
“Getting a workout is not getting on a team. They could easily want the storyline that they gave him a workout because they gave him a shot. And say that he didn’t perform. But I know he will perform,” Reid said. “Every move the NFL has made to this point has been PR for them, has been disingenuous and I don’t think this is any different. But we’ll see what happens.”
Reports and word from coaches have several teams set to attend Kaepernick’s workout and interview, which teams will also be able to access on video.