The Panthers signed free agent Eric Reid on Thursday, but they weren’t the only club with interest. The 49ers were among the clubs that made a “sincere run” at the safety and had interest in signing him to a one-year deal, according to Jim Trotter of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Starting strong safety Jaquiski Tartt was held out of Week 3 with a shoulder injury and free safety Adrian Colbert was forced out of that game with a knee issue, so the Niners could be looking for reinforcements. It’s not clear whether Reid was interested in returning to San Francisco after the team moved him all around the field in 2017 and showed little interest in re-signing him during the height of the offseason.
Either way, Reid’s focus is now on helping the Panthers win. And, apparently, the Panthers were not focused on Reid’s anthem protests. The team did not ask Reid about how he plans to handle the anthem this year, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, though raising the question wasn’t really an option after the backlash the Bengals received earlier this year.
He was trending down every year he was in the league, but that defense is so bad he probably would have helped.