As long as fans, NFL players, and everyday people keep adding their voices, Colin Kaepernick's message will not be silenced.

In the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen more than 1,000 people show up at NFL headquarters in support of Kaepernick, the number of NFL players joining the protest grow to over 50, and some of the most elite quarterbacks in the game support Kaepernick, and we've seen fans and players across the country rally behind national anthem protester Michael Bennett, who survived a terrifying assault by the Las Vegas police. 

It’s clear that we are witnessing the dawn of a new era of athlete activism and we should do what we can to support these athletes as they call for justice. Join San Francisco 49er Eric Reid and sign on to his open letter in support of Colin Kaepernick and other protesting athletes. 

Here is the Petition:

As athletes, we understand the role that sports play in American culture. To reach the pinnacle of our profession has taken tremendous commitment and discipline. We share our successes and our failures with our teammates and, most importantly, our fans. Win or lose, we strive to be pillars of our community and serve as role models to all the children out there who look to us and see us as real life superheroes.

But we are also human. Our teams are made up of people from all walks of life, political stances, and lived experiences. One side effect of the high-profile nature of our profession is the barrage of taunts, slurs and loaded personal attacks we endure online. We have long seen and experienced the hateful rhetoric that was on full display in Charlottesville. We cannot ignore what’s going on in the world around us.

It is no small thing that Colin Kaepernick spoke out and sparked a long overdue national dialogue on justice, dignity, and accountability. His actions influenced athletes across a variety sports from elementary school to the professional leagues to hold true to one’s values- no matter the cost. But what should be the cost of a peaceful, silent protest? For Kaepernick, it may very well be his career.

We cannot stand by and let this happen. Despite success on the field and a solid reputation in the locker room, Kaepernick has been blackballed and driven from the profession he loves because he dared to exercise his right to peacefully protest the treatment of black and brown people in the U.S. Even if we disagree with what he says or how he says it, the message the league is sending is loud and clear: “if you speak your mind, you lose your career.” And if we say it is okay for him, then what does it mean for you the next time you speak the truth of your convictions?

It is alarming that instead of welcoming a long overdue dialogue, NFL owners insist on banding together to send a message that speaking out against forms of violence, whether government sanctioned or at the hands of white nationalists, is a hazard to your livelihood. We the undersigned reject that notion. And sadly, we recognize that this may come with financial and professional repercussions, public ostracism, and possibly even other threats to us and our loved ones- just like what Kaepernick has faced. But we are doing this anyway, because we believe that having a public platform means owning the responsibility of using that platform to do the right thing. And when other athletes stand up to do the right thing, we have to band together as colleagues and have that person’s back. And Kaep, we have yours.

The undersigned,