Carl Nassib on Monday became the first active NFL player to come out as gay. Nassib announced the news on Instagram, saying he was not doing it for the attention but because "I just think that representation and visibility are so important."
Updated June 22, 2021 at 9:24 PM ET
Carl Nassib has made history as the first active NFL player to announce that he is gay.
On Monday, the 28-year-old defensive lineman with the Las Vegas Raiders came out in a video shared on his Instagram page. His team published a statement supporting for him, marking what many hope to be a shift toward more acceptance and inclusiveness in not only the National Football League, but in the wider world of professional sports.