Carl Nassib, NFL’s First Out Active Player, To Be Released From Raiders

Nassib made headlines in 2021 when he announced that he was gay on Instagram during Pride month.

Carl Nassib, the first openly gay active player in the NFL, is being released from the Las Vegas Raiders. 

ESPN reported that the Raiders will release Nassib, who plays as a defensive end, on Wednesday. Nassib had initially signed a three-year free-agent contract with the team for $25.25 million, of which $16.75 million is guaranteed to come from the Raiders. 

Nassib made headlines in 2021 when he announced that he was gay on Instagram during Pride month. In doing so, he became the first out gay player active in the league.

In his career with the Raiders, Nassib started in five out of 27 games, earning a total of four sacks, one interception, and 49 tackles.

The NFL reports that the move is one of multiple which the Raiders will be making in the off-season, and that Nassib’s salary was too high for his total play time and performance. 

“Carl had a big paycheck coming this year, and they just made a determination that they wanted to find somebody cheaper,” said Outsports co-founder Cyd Zeigler, as reported by NBC. “That’s the economics of the NFL.”

Nassib is a six-year veteran of the NFL. He played for two years with Cleveland, and another two with Tampa Bay, before joining the Raiders in 2020. 

He will be designated as a post-June 1 cut with the Raiders, and is free to sign with another team. 

 


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