Report: 49ers Were Interested in Signing Eric Reid to Multi-Year Deal

Eric Reid

Getty The San Francisco 49ers reportedly had interest in bringing back Eric Reid.

It seems the story around Eric Reid’s signing with the Carolina Panthers has taken an interesting turn. Shortly after the news came out, NFL analyst Jim Trotter revealed a surprising report. Reid’s former team, the San Francisco 49ers, were apparently also interested in signing the safety, but to a long-term deal.

Quite a few things stand out from this report, specifically the fact that Reid opted to sign with the Panthers on a one-year deal while a potential long-term deal was an option. It’s easy to speculate that the safety simply didn’t want to return to the 49ers at this point, or that he considered the Panthers to be a better option to continue his NFL career.


Reid’s Tenure With the 49ers

After the 49ers made Reid the No. 18 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, he went on to make the Pro Bowl during his rookie season. Reid tallied 77 combined tackles, 11 passes defensed, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries. He was unable to replicate that success in the following seasons but was unquestionably still a solid young player.

Reid became an unrestricted free agent after the 2017 season and the 49ers opted not to bring him back. At the time, the consensus seemed to be that it was largely due to his decision to protest the national anthem. With the rumors of the 49ers having interest in bringing Reid back now, it certainly makes for an interesting conversation.

We’ll update this story as more information is released.

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