Anthem Protester Eric Reid Claims NFL Has Drug Tested Him Five Times This Season

Eric Reid
Warner Todd Huston

Carolina Panthers safety and national anthem protester Eric Reid, says the NFL has given him “random” drug tests five times in the last couple months.

Reid was ejected from Thursday’s game for making contact with Ben Roethlisberger’s head, while the Steelers QB was trying to slide. After his penalty, Reid was ordered to take a drug test. But in comments in the locker room, Reid hinted that he thinks he is being treated unfairly.

Panthers reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques tweeted that Reid claimed he has been drug tested multiple times in the last two months:

The NFL has randomly selected Eric Reid to take a drug test after tonight’s game.

Reid’s response: “This is like the fifth time since I’ve been here … They’re not going to catch me on anything.”

Says he’s got nothing to hide, doesn’t take anything illegal

The NFL has implemented a system of random testing of players governed by a computer program to ensure it is truly random.

NFL.com reporter Ian Rapaport tweeted the NFL’s rule on random drug tests:

So far there has been no comment from the league to substantiate Reid’s claim of being drug tested five times, but according to The Big Lead, the odds that Reid could be “randomly” chosen for that many tests is only about 0.5 percent.

The Big Lead also implied that the drug testing could be punishment for Reid’s anthem protests.

“It’s possible it just happens to be a coincidence that it’s happening to him, one of the most outspoken defenders of Colin Kaepernick and kneeling during the national anthem,” Big Lead’s Kyle Koster wrote.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.

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