Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid may not want to pack up that NFL grievance case just yet.
That’s because the newly signed star and close friend of Colin Kaepernick, 27, claims he’s been randomly drug tested (or asked to be tested) seven times this season. (RELATED: Star Actor Says Anthem Protestor And Close Kaepernick Confidant Is Being Treated Unfairly)
It appears that, following his 12-9 loss to the Saints on Monday night, Reid came back to his locker to find a notification of his seventh random drug testing. He captioned the photo of the notification with the word “random” in sarcastic quotation marks.
Number 7… ”Random” pic.twitter.com/6HkxXCZhQP
— Eric Reid (@E_Reid35) December 18, 2018
“I’ve been here 11 weeks, I’ve been drug tested seven times,” he told the media following his 12-9 loss to the Saints on Monday night. “That has to be statistically impossible. I’m not a mathematician but there’s no way that’s random.”
Asked if the drug testing was a part of his case, Reid simply answered, “duly noted.”
WATCH:
Panthers S Eric Reid on his seventh random drug test this year and whether it will be part of his grievance case against the league pic.twitter.com/w0Heqzj264
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) December 18, 2018
Remember, Reid was signed by the Panthers only this past September, which means, if the math checks out, he’s been asked to submit to drug testing almost three times per month.
It’s also worth noting that the NFL reserves the right to drug test a player up to six times in one season without reasonable cause. Unclear if Reid is counting an initial drug test he likely had to submit upon signing, but you get the gist.
Also worth noting, earlier this May, the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) filed a grievance claim against the NFL on Reid’s behalf, accusing the the league of collusion to blackball players who protest the anthem.