As the NFL preseason begins this week, the league’s pioneering gay player remains a free agent.
Carl Nassib, a defensive end, was released by the Las Vegas Raiders in March. He made history last season by becoming the first active NFL player to come out as gay.
“It’s up to whether he gets an offer that makes sense for him,” said Cyd Zeigler, co-founder of Outsports. “I think it will happen, but it’s up to him.”
Off the field, Nassib has been busy developing Rayze, a new social media app that connects volunteers with local non-profits. He said the idea came to him while volunteering for a juvenile delinquent center in Tampa.
“Rayze is the future of social media. It’s the future of connecting with people because you’re connecting with people not based on your status in life or your clout, you’re connecting with people based on your character and what you actually care about,” Nassib said in a video promoting the app.
The 29-year-old All-American from Penn State came out in an Instagram post last summer during Pride month. He has donated $100,000 to the Trevor Project, a non-profit focused on suicide prevention efforts for LGBTQ youth.
Meanwhile, the NFL preseason kicks off Aug. 4 when the Raiders take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.
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