When the Las Vegas Raiders signed Carl Nassib heading into the 2020 season, he was supposed to be a key rotational pass rusher. He was coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 6.0 sacks. He was never able to have that kind of impact, only compiling 4.0 sacks in two seasons.
The Raiders cut him heading into free agency to open up some cap space for new players. While his time with the team wasn’t as productive as it could’ve been, he enjoyed his time with Las Vegas.
“It was a great time,” Nassib said of playing with the Raiders on “Good Morning America.” “I have so much love for Las Vegas. It allowed me to do a lot of great things. And I think that there’ll be more — there’ll be better opportunities in the future.”
Nassib is just 29 and will like to continue his playing career. He’s capable of making an impact as a pass rusher and is a very good teammate. He should land with another team at some point before or during the season.
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Nassib Discusses Decision to Come out as Gay
Nassib made national headlines last year when he decided to become the first active NFL player to come out as gay. It was a big decision as he knew it was sure to garner a lot of attention. Prior to making the announcement, Nassib agonized over if he should actually let the world know. He had a strong reason for finally deciding to make the announcement.
“The last thing I said was like, ‘You know what – for the kids.’ And pressed post,” Nassib said.
Nassib’s announcement wasn’t to get attention but to send a message to other people who are still hiding their sexual identity.
“I just wanted to show that it really doesn’t matter – your sexual orientation,” he said.
Nassib believes that things are headed in the right direction but there’s still work to be done.
“We are making strides in a positive direction,” he said. “It won’t be a perfect road, and we just have to continue the course and make sure that we do it from a place of love and not from a place of animosity.”
Will Nassib Land on Another Team?
Nassib proved that causing headlines for social reasons won’t be too much of a distraction for a team. The veteran defensive end mostly keeps to himself. When the Raiders signed him in 2020, they overpaid by giving him $25 million over three years. It was always going to be difficult for him to live up to that contract.
However, if he can join a team on a much more reasonable deal, he could be a valuable player. He’s not a superstar EDGE rusher but he can provide some pass rush juice from time to time. He’s also a really smart player who could be an asset on a younger team. Nassib is coming off of a couple of down seasons but he should get the chance to hit the field again.
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Carl Nassib Breaks Silence on Getting Cut by Raiders