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Carl Nassib Becomes 1st Out Player Signed to NFL Regular Season Roster
The Raiders' defensive end just keeps on making history!
Carl Nassib still has a job.
The six-year NFL veteran earned a spot on the finalized roster of the Las Vegas Raiders on Tuesday, making him the first out player signed to an NFL team's regular season roster. He is expected to make history again in week one of the season as the first out player to play in a regular season game, and he will do so under the bright lights of the league's marquis game of the week, Monday Night Football, on September 13.
Nassib made NFL and professional sports history when he announced he was gay on Instagram in June. He used the occasion to announce a donation of $100,00 to the Trevor Project, the support group for LGBTQ+ youth struggling with their sexual identities and considering death by suicide.
The NFL quickly matched his donation, and also posted to Instagram their "year-long efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion."
In his first press conference since coming out, Nassib said he was surprised by the media attention and publicity he received.
"It was incredible," he said last month. "I thought nobody would care. But it was just such a good feeling to have all that support. I was glad to do my part to help bring visibility and representation to my community."
Nassib used the occasion to sweep away any concerns his coming out might have caused difficulties with his fellow teammates.
"We've got a great locker room, great teammates," Nassib said. "I've been met with nothing but love and support. It has been incredible. Football players get a bad wrap. But we're humble, hard-working, accepting people. This was a great example of that."
One of the first players to reach out to Nassib after he came out was starting quarterback Derek Carr.
"And I called him," Carr said in an interview in July. "He was working out, so I texted him. And he sent a text right back. And he said, 'Derek, you have no idea how much it meant to me for you to reach out.' He said, 'I was hoping that you would reach out.'"
Nassib is in the second year of a three-year $25 million contract with the Raiders. With $16.75 million of the contract guaranteed, it was unlikely he would be cut. However, Nassib has earned on spot on the roster by delivering on the field. He is currently listed as second on the depth chart behind Yannick Ngakoue but will see significant playing time as teams rotate players regularly.
