Representation Matters: Carl Nassib Becomes the First Active NFL Player to Come Out

On Monday afternoon, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib announced on his instagram account that he is gay. With this announcement, he becomes the first active player in the history of the league to come out.

“I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now but I finally feel comfortable getting it off my chest.”

Raiders DL Carl Nassib shared this video to social media and became the first active NFL player to announce he is gay. pic.twitter.com/gGXbZEP3R7

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 21, 2021

In a public statement, Commissioner Roger Goodell stated the importance of representation, recognizin the bravery of the defensive end in coming out. While doing so, he also commented on a near future possibility where this types of announcements are not necessary since society is open enough to accept LGBTQ+ people.

🏳️‍🌈 pic.twitter.com/TvXEikwKeY

— NFL (@NFL) June 22, 2021

Former Texans star and three times NFL’s defensive player of the year, JJ Watt, also made a similar statement via Twitter:

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. https://t.co/eevr8cgRay

— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) June 22, 2021

Carl’s announcement comes during #Pride month, where all NFL teams had publicly supported LGBTQ+ people in social media.

This is a landmark in the NFL’s history. The support Carl has been receiving from players, teams and coaches, sets a precedent for future players who want to come out and start to change the league into a more plural, diverse space that lives up to the needs of the XXIst century.