Getty Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
Reactions to the Carl Nassib news have been pouring in across the country. The Las Vegas Raiders defensive end became the first active NFL player to come out as gay. So far, the response has been mostly positive over the historic moment.
A number of members of the Raiders organization have offered support to Nassib, including head coach Jon Gruden and owner Mark Davis. Many of Nassib’s teammates have also come out and supported the defensive end. As the team’s starting quarterback, Derek Carr has the most notable voice on the Raiders. On Tuesday, he texted a number of reporters his statement regarding the news.
“I have often said I love my teammates,” Carr said. “I mean it. We always say we are a family in that Raider locker room, and we mean that too. I want to win a championship here with Carl and the rest of our teammates.”
Carr’s statement echoes what a lot of other players have been saying. It’s clear that Nassib’s teammates are perfectly happy with his lifestyle and just want to win games with him at their side.
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Joe Biden Offers Praise to Nassib
Nassib’s decision to come out as gay could be a major turning point for the NFL and other professional sports. The news was so notable that President Joe Biden reached out in support of the Raiders’ defensive end.
To Carl Nassib and Kumi Yokoyama – two prominent, inspiring athletes who came out this week: I’m so proud of your courage. Because of you, countless kids around the world are seeing themselves in a new light today.
What got lost in the shuffle was that Nassib donated $100,000 to The Trevor Project, which is an organization that works to prevent suicide among LGBTQ+ youth. The NFL decided to match Nassib’s donation to the organization. Here’s what the league had to say in a statement:
The NFL is supporting Raiders DE Carl Nassib by matching his donation with a $100,000 contribution to the Trevor Project, the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth. The NFL is committed to year-long efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion. We proudly support the LGBTQ+ community and will continue to work alongside the Trevor Project and our other community partners to further enhance our collective work and commitment to this space.
Nassib Has NFL’s Top-Selling Jersey
There are many who are attempting to downplay the significance of Nassib’s, but it’s impossible to deny that it is a historic moment for the NFL. That’s evident by the fact that Nassib’s jersey has been selling like hotcakes. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the defensive end’s jersey has been the top-seller across the Fanatics network over the last few days.
Raiders’ DE Carl Nassib is the top-selling NFL jersey across the @Fanatics’ network both yesterday and today.
That news shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise as many non-Raider fans have expressed support for Nassib. His decision to come out has reached many people who haven’t shown interest in the sport prior. Though Nassib wasn’t a big name prior to this week, he’s always been a solid player. He’s now going to be one of the most popular names in the NFL for years to come.
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Raiders’ Derek Carr Sends Strong Message to Carl Nassib