Carl Nassib, NFL’s first active player to come out as gay, has been recruited by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Nassib made history by coming out last year and has now found a team for the upcoming season which starts in one month. Reports indicate that the player has signed on for a one-year deal with the Tampa team. Nassib will be brought to reinforce the teams’ defense as they’ve parted ways with Jason Pierre-Paul.
Nassib came out in an Instagram video last year and followed the announcement with a donation of $100,000 to the Trevor Project. The upcoming season marks Nassib’s 7th season in the NFL and his return to Tampa after playing for the Raiders in Las Vegas. This will be Nassib’s second time playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as he previously played for the team in 2018 and 2019.
The historic move has been deemed as one of the most important moments in NFL history. Some believe that high-profile team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signing an openly gay player will impact the professional football world for years. With Nassib breaking barriers and opening doors for gay players in the NFL, could this be the beginning of the end for homophobia in sports?