San Francisco 49ers safety Eric Reid will be joined by his younger brother, Justin, in the NFL next season. Justin Reid, who was a defensive back for Stanford, is foregoing his senior year of eligibility and declaring himself eligible for the 2018 NFL Draft. The younger Reid announced the decision on Tuesday via Twitter.
I am foregoing my senior year of eligibility and am declaring for the 2018 NFL Draft. I know that I'm mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared to become a professional athlete. My education is very important to me, and I do fully intend on returning to finish my degree. pic.twitter.com/QKpeGQHR2P
— Justin Reid (@jreid_viii) January 9, 2018
Justin Reid was named All-Pac-12 in 2017 and finished his college career with 170 total tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss, a sack, and six interceptions in three years with the Cardinal. He is expected to be a Day 2 selection in April's draft.
As for the elder Reid, his future is unknown. The 49ers safety, who has continued to protest during the national anthem, is scheduled to become a free agent in March. Reid understands that his protesting could hurt his value on the open market.
"The things that I've done, I stand by," Reid said via the Sacramento Bee in December. "And I've done that for my own personal beliefs. Like I said I'm fine with whatever outcome comes because of that."
Reid, who the 49ers selected as the 18th-overall draft pick in 2013, missed three games early in the 2017 season with a PCL injury suffered during a Week 2 contest against the Seattle Seahawks. Upon returning to the lineup, Jaquiski Tartt had already taken over Reid's role. To get him onto the football field, Reid was used at linebacker at times this past season.
After Jimmie Ward was lost for the season with a broken forearm, Reid returned to the starting lineup at strong safety with Tartt playing free safety. Tartt then also suffered a broken forearm, which opened the door for impressive rookie safety Adrian Colbert.
The 49ers have an abundance of options at safety, which could make Reid expendable. If his protests are not factored in, Reid could be seen as a valuable asset for an NFL team seeking to sign the 26-year-old safety.
