NFL’s First Openly Gay Active Player Carl Nassib Set to Return to Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Carl Nassib, the NFL’s first openly gay active player, signed a one-year deal to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport first reported the move, which comes in light of backup linebacker Cam Gill’s Lisfranc injury. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Before playing the last two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, the defensive end and linebacker played two seasons for the Buccaneers where he had his best stats in sacks with 6.5 in 2018 and six in 2019.

Nassib was drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the 65th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He was cut by the team after two seasons.

Nassib became the first openly gay active NFL player after coming out in 2021.

“I just wanna take a quick moment to say that I’m gay,” said Nassib in an Instagram video.

“I’m a pretty private person, so I hope you guys know I’m really not doing this for attention,” he said. “I just think that representation and visibility are so important.”

In the video, Nassib announced donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project, which fights to help LGBTQ people from taking their own life.

Watch above, via WTVT-TB.