Out NFL Player Carl Nassib Makes Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Final Roster

Carl Nassib, the NFL's first out gay active player, has made the final roster of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He signed with the Bucs in August after he was cut by his former team, the Las Vegas Raiders, in a cost-cutting move in March. Nassib previously played two seasons with the Buccaneers before signing with the Raiders in 2020.

Nassib, 29, made history last year when he came out as gay in a post to his Instagram during Pride month.

"What's up, people?" Nassib said in the video post. "I'm at my house in West Chester, Pa. 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 finally feel comfortable getting it off my chest."

In his first game since coming out, Nassib forced a fumble in overtime which was quickly turned into the game-winning touchdown as the Raiders earned a thrilling 33-27 overtime victory against the Baltimore Ravens in the season opener of Monday Night Football last September.

"Lot of firsts today," Nassib said at the post-game press conference. "No one blinked. It was awesome. It was a great team win, for sure."

Nassib will switch positions with the Bucs, going from defensive end to outside linebacker. The roles are similar, though, and mean Nassib will start each play a few yards back from the line of scrimmage where he lined up as a defensive end. He is a rotational player listed second on the depth chart behind starter Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, but he will see significant playing time as teams rotate players to keep them rested as well as depending upon the situation in the play ahead.

Nassib, who played his college ball at Penn State, was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 2016 NFL Draft. He played two seasons with the Lions before he was waived and his contract was picked up by the Bucs. He went on to set career highs in sacks and tackles for a loss in his first season with the Bucs. As a free agent, Nassib signed a three-year, $25 million contract with the Raiders with $16.75 million guaranteed. He played two seasons with the Raiders.