NFL, NFLPA issue joint response to Eric Reid’s drug testing allegation

Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid felt he was targeted by the NFL for random drug testing that was not truly random during the regular season, but it does not appear his complaint is going to get him anywhere.

Back in November, Reid revealed that he had been selected for random drug testing for the fifth time since he signed with the Panthers on Sept. 27. That led him to conclude that the system “doesn’t feel very random,” which was basically an accusation that the NFL was trying to railroad him. On Tuesday, the NFL and NFL Players Association released a statement insisting there is no evidence of that.

NFL and NFLPA defend itself against Panthers’ safety Eric Reid’s allegations: pic.twitter.com/v6CWFVFEP4

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 9, 2019

The statement says there is confirmation that Reid’s name was randomly pulled via a computer algorithm. The most significant part about the release is that it came from both the NFL and NFLPA, which basically gives Reid no leg to stand on.

Reid is a player who has been heavily involved in national anthem protests and supporting Colin Kaepernick, so some felt the NFL might be targeting him because of that. Again, it is quite noteworthy that even the NFLPA does not believe that was the case.