The NFL has been preparing recently for a player to come out of the closet as a homosexual while still playing in the league and with reports about multiple players coming out together, another one from CBS sheds light on what the NFL could do when it happens.
According to CBS Sports, a team in the NFL, which the report declined to name to keep the player and team anonymous since the player did not publically declare he was gay yet, had a player that was not openly gay but the team and other players knew it and did not care. The report says that the players on the team knew he dated men, but that did not care about it and were fine with him being gay.
One issue with players coming out is the reception they would get within the locker room, but since this team doesn't mind, it could flow through the league in the future. The report says one player said that they just saw the gay athlete as a "player" and not a "gay player." It also says that coaches and wives of players knew that as well and didn't care.
"It was the worst kept secret on the team," said one player. "Many of us knew and we didn't care at all."
One possible player could be Kerry Rhodes and the Arizona Cardinals, as pictures were printed online of him and his assistant on vacation. While the reports were denied by Rhodes, who said he was not gay, more pictures were put online this week, fueling the speculation.
Whether it is Rhodes or not, the report is a good one and one that hopefully many other teams will follow in the future when players actually do come out.
