When Eric Reid of the Carolina Panthers stepped over the sideline and onto the playing field to instigate a heated pregame confrontation with Malcolm Jenkins of the Philadelphia Eagles https://www.carolinapanthersfanshop.com/Sam-Mills-Jersey , the Panthers safety figuratively crossed an important line regarding civility and tolerance. Based on multiple reports including The New York Times and ESPN (please read these articles if you are not familiar with the details of the backstory), the root cause of the conflict is the two men disagree on the best approach to address matters of social injustice and inequality. Both Reid and Jenkins are passionate and thoughtful about these issues. And, as often happens with complex topics, they’ve reached different conclusions about the most appropriate solutions. That’s fine. Mature, thoughtful adults can rationally evaluate facts, assess options, arrive at very different conclusions, and still respectfully disagree with each other. It’s call civility. It’s called tolerance. It’s called diversity of thought. Rational people do not resort to physical confrontation and name-calling toward those with whom they intellectually disagree. These are precisely the behaviors Eric Reid demonstrated on Sunday. He allowed a philosophical disagreement to boil over into a heated confrontation to the point where he had to be physically restrained by his teammates. After the game, Reid resorted to labeling Jenkins as “corrupt”, a “sellout”, and a “neo-colonialist”.Remember, these are two men who ostensibly agree with each other about the need to raise awareness and find solutions to social injustice and inequality. The conflict is they’ve simply reached different conclusions about the best solutions. Based on his actions, Eric Reid is extremely intolerant toward Malcolm Jenkins’ sincere, well-reasoned opinions that happen to clash with his own. When debating issues such as these, more tolerance is needed https://www.carolinapanthersfanshop.com/Christian-Mccaffrey-Jersey , not less. Some will attempt to justify Eric Reid’s actions under the banner of “passion.” They will argue that he’s so invested in this cause that his behavior was justified, perhaps even necessary. This perspective is not only wrong but potentially dangerous. My assumption is almost every NFL player is passionate about social and political issues that are deeply personal to them. Some players may feel just as intensely as Eric Reid does about The Players’ Coalition - some opposing it and others supporting it - but of the 1,500-plus NFL players who take the field every Sunday only one has allowed this “passion” to explode into an angry and ugly confrontation. This is not passion. This is a lack of tolerance and civility. Malcolm Jenkins, on the other hand, behaved with thoughtfulness and respect when addressing this issue after the game. According to the Charlotte Observer, when speaking about Eric Reid and Colin Kaepernick, Jenkins said, “You couldn’t pay me to say anything negative about them. I look around the league and I’m proud of guys that are active in their communities, that are using their voice as a platform like never before — including Colin and including Eric.” Jenkins, the NFL’s 2015 Walter Payton Man of the Year, was making these measured, thoughtful statements around the same time Reid was calling him a neo-colonialist.If Eric Reid wants a more tolerant, inclusive world, he should start by demonstrating these behaviors himself. It’s ironic, if not outright hypocritical https://www.carolinapanthersfanshop.com/Daryl-Williams-Jersey , that Reid’s approach is to demean, marginalize, and physically confront people with diverse opinions that differ from his. A more civil world isn’t grown by sowing the seeds of incivility. A more tolerant world isn’t forged by fanning the flames of intolerance. Eric Reid’s reckless actions don’t help solve complex problems, they only serve to make them worse. The Panthers’ offense has had a rough going with injuries. It doesn’t appear a break is coming any time soon. On Tuesday, it was announced that tight end Greg Olsen re-fractured his right foot. The three-time Pro Bowler is Cam Newton’s most trusted target. Prior to his injury last season, Olsen surpassed over 1,000 yards and 75 receptions for three consecutive seasons. Olsen was set to be a staple in Norv Turner’s Air Coryell type offense. But not all bad news has to be “bad”. There is a silver lining. That being there’s now opportunity for the younger guys to step up. There’s no doubt that losing Olsen is a blow to Carolina’s offense. But this isn’t the first time the Panthers’ have had to adjust around losing their starting tight end. Ron Rivera insured himself by drafting Ian Thomas in the fourth round in the 2018 NFL Draft. With Olsen’s absence, Thomas is expected to get the start in Panthers’ matchup against the Falcons on Sunday. Although it’s been limited, what we have seen of Thomas has been positive. In the preseason, he caught three passes for 37 yards and a touchdown. He’s also shown flashes of his ability to block. Thomas has been referred to as a bit of an “unknown”. But Thomas won’t be an unknown for much longer. He has good size sitting at 6’4 and 260 pounds. He’s versatile as a receiver and his ability to block makes him an asset. Aside from Thomas, there’s still a slew of receivers for Turner to work with. One being the highly anticipated rookie D.J. Moore. Without Olsen, it allows Moore the chance to go out there and make plays. The first-round draft pick was not targeted in the Panthers’ 16-8 win over the Cowboys. But Moore’s potential is up there. He’s a good blocking receiver and he has the ability to be a deep threat. Before the injury, there wasn’t a reason to chance Thomas and Moore with the assurance of Olsen. With the restructuring of the offense, there’s now ample opportunity to see what the young guys can do.