Defensive end Carl Nassib, the NFL's first openly gay active player, was released on Wednesday by the Las Vegas Raiders, according to a report on the NFL website.
Nassib made 49 tackles, four quarterback sacks and an interception in two seasons with the Raiders, who will save $8 million over two years with the move under NFL salary cap rules.
Nassib, 28, said he was gay in an Instagram post last June.
"I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I'm gay," Nassib posted last year. "I've been meaning to do this for a while now, but finally feel comfortable getting it off my chest. I really have the best life, the best family, friends and job a guy can ask for."
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was among many who expressed support for trailblazer Nassib.
"The NFL family is proud of Carl for courageously sharing his truth today," Goodell said last June in a statement.
The move allows Nassib to sign with any club, although it will likely be for less than the $7.75 million base salary he had with the Raiders.
Mike Mayock, who signed Nassib, was fired in January as the Raiders brought in new general manager Dave Ziegler and new coach Josh McDaniels following a first-round exit in the NFL playoffs, their first post-season appearance since 2016.
Nassib has played six NFL seasons, starting with the Cleveland Browns, who selected him in the third round of the 2016 draft.
He played two years for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before joining the Raiders in 2020.
Michael Sam had been the first openly gay player selected in the NFL Draft, taken by the then-St. Louis Rams in 2014. Sam played pre-season games for the Rams and was briefly on the practice squad of the Dallas Cowboys, but never suited up for a regular-season contest.
Sam played one game in 2015 for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League before retiring.
© 2022 AFP
