Gay NFL player considering coming out

The NFL has never had a gay player(active) in its history, so if this player comes out it would be revolutionary for the sport. This report came from Mike Freeman of CBS Sports who said,

A current gay player is strongly considering coming out publicly within the next few months - and after doing so, the player would attempt to continue his career."

Is the NFL ready for a gay player? Only time will tell. It's inevitable that this player will take criticism throughout the remainder of his career. The majority of people are going to respect his decision and support him, but the selected few homophobic fans and players in a locker room who do offer their criticism could really affect the players head, making his playing career a struggle every Sunday.

Another concern is that the player would be a distraction to the team. Since he would be the first player to ever come out, and unless he is a player who never plays, this is going to be in the news every week before games. If this player isn't a star, a team might elect to go with another player who is just as good but would not be a distraction to the team.

Back in February, a soccer player, Robbie Rogers, came out as gay. It was accepted and he was supported, but the thing is, he did not continue his playing career. He is only 25 years old, and I'm guessing he decided to retire in his prime to stray away from the criticism he would get.

So if a player does come out as gay, it will be a very interesting story and I am interested on how it would play out. It would obviously stick with the guy the rest of his career. He would basically be labeled as the "gay" football player but it is something that needs to happen in this sport. What do you think about this issue? Let us know on Twitter: @joeloobs @patriotslife

Sources:
profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
nytimes.com