Eric Reid Calls Malcolm Jenkins a “Corrupt Sellout” After Near Physical Altercation During Pregame Sunday
Eric Reid called Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins a “sellout” after the two were in a heated altercation before the Carolina Panthers’ 21-17 victory over the Eagles Oct. 21.
According to reports, Reid and Jenkins had to be separated from each other after the two confronted each other midfield during pregame warmups Sunday. After the game, Reid spoke with reporters on why he has “beef” with Jenkins, explaining how believed the Eagles safety is a “sellout” against the Black community.
“We believe a lot of players should have stepped up for Colin [Kaepernick]. I believe Malcolm capitalized on the situation. He co-opted the movement that was started by Colin to get his organization funded. It’s cowardly. He sold us out,” Reid told reporters, per Bleacher Report.
This isn’t the first time Reid has blasted Jenkins; he first called Jenkins a sellout a year ago when the Eagles star announced he had negotiated a deal to stop protesting during the National Anthem after the NFL agreed to spend roughly $90 million towards groups dedicated to social reform. Jenkins had negotiated the deal on behalf of the Players Coalition, a group made up of active NFL players in an effort to use their platform to fight against social injustices. Reid was once a member of the group, but left immediately after Jenkins negotiated the deal with the owners.
Reid told Slate magazine last year that Jenkins agreed to that deal with the league without discussing it with the rest of the group, ultimately undermining the protest of players. He also called the deal a “charade,” explaining how the league would only have to donate $89 million over seven years, which would be “no skin off the owners’ backs” considering how money could be allocated away from other social initiatives that the league had already dedicated funds to.
“In the discussion that we had, Malcolm (Jenkins) conveyed to us — based on discussions that he had with the NFL — that the money would come from funds that are already allocated to breast cancer awareness and Salute to Service,” Reid told Slate. “So it would really be no skin off the owners’ backs: They would just move the money from those programs to this one.”
Reid, who currently has a suit filed against the NFL for alleged collusion to keep him unsigned the majority of this year because of his involvement in protesting during the anthem, said Sunday that he still feels the same way about Jenkins and the Players Coalition a year later.
“[Jenkins] was corrupt from the jump,” Reid told reporters. “He knew what he was doing from the offset. His goal was to sell us out, and he did that.
“The Players Coalition is an NFL-funded subversion group, so that’s why I removed myself from them and I’ll keep moving forward with Colin,” Reid continued, adding that he’ll continue kneeling during the anthem in protest of systemic oppression and neo colonialism.
Jenkins was told of Reid’s comments Sunday, but chose not to criticize Reid back, instead praising the Panthers safety for his social activism.
“I would never get up here and say anything bad about somebody who I know whose intentions are real about helping in their community, especially another Black man, so I’ll leave it at that,” Jenkins said, according to NBC Sports. “I’m glad he has a job, I’m glad he’s back in the league.”
Source: afro.com
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