Is the National Football League ready for its first openly gay player? Comments made by 49ers defensive back Chris Culliver earlier this year suggest that the league—and its players—are not ready for a current player to come out just yet. But, it sounds like that day may be coming soon anyway.
According to CBS Sports writer Mike Freeman, there is a gay NFL player out there right now who is thinking about coming out of the closet soon. Although the source that Freeman has been talking to about it won't reveal who the player is, the source revealed that the player feels comfortable enough to come out to his teammates right now. But, he's still hesitant to do so because he feels as though he will likely face a lot of backlash from fans. That may not stop the player from making an announcement soon, though.
"I honestly think the players of the NFL have been ready for an openly gay player for quite some time now," NFL free agent Scott Fujita told Freeman for his piece about the issue. "Trust me, the coming out of a player would create much bigger waves outside the locker room than inside. The way I've seen the conversation around LGBT issues evolve, especially in the past few years, has been encouraging. Guys are more accepting than they used to be. Even those who raise personal objections to homosexuality, some of whom are good friends of mine, would still be able to coexist and accept a gay teammate."
So, are we really on the brink of seeing the first openly gay NFL player? We'll just have to wait and see. But, from the sound of things, it's not going to be long before NFL history is made.
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[via CBS Sports]
