Gruden, others around NFL voice support for Nassib

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib’s historic announcement about his sexuality was met with messages of support from past and present football players, other professional athletes and LGBTQ advocacy groups.

Nassib on Monday became the first active NFL player to say publicly that he is gay, posting a video on his Instagram account, saying, “I’m a pretty private person, so I hope you guys know that I’m really not doing this for the attention. I just think that representation and visibility are so important.”

“Number one, it’s 2021 so it’s not the most surprising thing in the world,” Raiders owner Mark Davis told the Los Angeles Times. “It doesn’t change my opinion of Carl as a man or as a Raider.”

Raiders coach Jon Gruden told ESPN, “I learned a long time ago what makes a man different is what makes him great.”

Nassib is set to begin the second year of a three-year, $25.5 million contract he signed with the Raiders in March 2020, with $16.7 million guaranteed.

Cutting Nassib at this point would result in a $15 dead cap hit for the Raiders, which ensures that he’ll be with the team for the start of the 2021 season.

In his announcement, Nassib thanked the “NFL, my coaches, and fellow players for their support. I would not have been able to do this without them. From the jump, I was greeted with the utmost respect and acceptance.”

Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt tweeted, “Good for you Carl. Glad you feel comfortable enough to share and hopefully someday these types of announcements will no longer be considered breaking news.”