Stephen A. Smith and Eric Reid had a heated exchange over Colin Kaepernick's workout

"Tap dancing for the NFL."

While Stephen A. Smith’s primary role at ESPN is that of a hot-take artist on First Take, he offered some reporting earlier in the week about Colin Kaepernick’s NFL workout in Atlanta.

Smith reported Wednesday that his “sources” told him that two teams were interested in Kaepernick’s services and that 10 owners didn’t want Kaepernick in the league. Those two teams were free to bring Kaepernick in for individual workouts but declined to do so.

But when disagreements over the terms for Saturday’s hastily planned workout led to Kaepernick holding his own open-to-media event in Atlanta, Smith posted a three-minute video criticizing Kaepernick for how he handled the day. Smith claimed that Kaepernick had no interest in playing in the NFL, which wasn’t met kindly by Panthers safety Eric Reid.

Reid responded to Smith that Kaepernick was right to want to control the narrative against an organization that had shut him out for the past three years. The NFL wanted the event to be closed to the media and handle the video distribution itself, which could have (and probably would have) led to a flurry of anonymous scouts reporting how poorly Kaepernick performed.

Reid continued to criticize Smith for parroting NFL talking points, and that prompted Smith to issue his own response on Instagram.

Smith wrote:

The more you talk, the more ridiculous you sound, @e_reid35. Actually, it’s worse than I thought since you’re the one tweeting at me hours before a damn game. And speaking of the game, weren’t you in Atlanta in attendance for Kaepernick’s workout yesterday — before having to leave EARLY to play for a team in a league you’re feeling so oppressed by? Wasn’t that you? Just asking! Hold on! I have more!

That same Malcolm X — who we all revere for life — you just brought up acknowledged there were slight errors in his thinking. You didn’t bring that up? You Eric Reid went through the same process Kap was suppose to be go through and you’re still playing on Sunday. But you didn’t bring that up! And unlike you, walking around and doing nothing but bitching at every turn, myself and many others in the media have religiously called out the NFL for blackballing Kap. We’ve religiously highlighted the unfairness of it all. And some of us have worked behind the scenes, trying to help Jay-Z and others in their quest to get Kap back in the league. Meanwhile, what is Eric Reid doing? Complaining like he wants to be on @firsttake. Failing to stop the run on Sundays. Talking S$&@ about the NFL at every turn…….but asking for that check, no doubt!

Yet, I’m the one tap dancing. Why? Because I’m gainfully employed while trying to remind youngsters out her of the pitfalls that lie-in-wait. Meanwhile, someone like you continues to throw professionalism, decorum and decency into the wind — sending folks down a dead-end path — all because your boy isn’t getting precisely his way…..when NO ONE gets their way. So who’s the SELLOUT!

Guess what, it’s neither of us. We just have a difference of opinion. I still respect the hell out of your immature, belligerent self. But I’m going to call it like I see it. Kaepernick made a mistake the way he handled all this…….IF he really wants a job in the NFL. Period. And your contribution to all of this doesn’t help. It hurts. It ain’t about you being wrong. It’s about you needing to grow the hell up. Your decision. Your life! Do you!

Kaepernick elected to hold his own workout in Atlanta with media present and proved what we already knew: He’s an NFL-caliber quarterback.