Colts: Jim Irsay’s Carl Nassib tweet should help owners lead by example

The NFL made headlines this week when Las Vegas Raiders defensive lineman Carl Nassib became the first active player in the league to come out as gay.

Entering his sixth season in the NFL and second in Las Vegas, Nassib announced the news on Instagram, and admitted in a follow-up written message on social media that he “agonized over this moment for the last 15 years.”

Nassib has received an outpouring of love from the NFL community, including some of the league’s biggest stars, both current and former. That list included Saquon Barkley, his former teammate at Penn State, Bo Jackson and commissioner Roger Goodell, among others.

In choosing to lead by example, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay followed this trend on Wednesday by penning a heartfelt tweet about Nassib’s courage. We can only hope that the league’s other owners follow in Irsay’s footsteps.

Colts fans will love owner Jim Irsay’s tweet to Carl Nassib.

It’s been so moving to see the NFL community, and sports world at large, rally around Nassib following his groundbreaking announcement. Unfortunately, the fact that coming out is still regarded as breaking news is precisely what Irsay was alluding to in his tweet.

Needles to say that our society has a long way to go in terms of becoming more accepting of another person’s sexuality and sexual orientation, but we might be turning over a new leaf in that regard. Shortly after Nassib’s announcement went viral, his No. 94 jersey has became the NFL’s top-selling jersey across the Fanatics network, beating out megastars like Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady.

Clearly aware of the magnitude of Nassib’s revelation and what it means for the NFL moving forward, Goodell released a statement applauding the 28-year-old’s mettle.

"“Representation matters. We share his hope that someday soon statements like his will no longer be newsworthy as we march toward full equality for the LGBTQ+ community. We wish Carl the best of luck this coming season.”"

What makes this story all the more powerful? As part of his announcement, Nassib pledged a $100,000 donation to the Trevor Project, an organization focused on suicide prevention in the LGBTQ communities, and the NFL has decided to match his donation.

Getting back to Irsay, the longtime Colts owner is almost always on the frontlines supporting some of the league’s most influential campaigns. Whether it be coming out against the offensive “All Lives Matter” slogan or simply condemning racism on social platforms, Irsay is always setting the moral high ground tone among the NFL owner population.

Let’s hope Irsay’s tweet about Nassib ignites a chain reaction among NFL owners in terms of expressing their support of the former third-round pick. Not nearly enough owners have taken matters into their own hands, so credit to Irsay for once again leading by example.

Colts: Jim Irsay comes out against ‘All Lives Matter’

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay came out against "All Lives Matter" this week in a statement about recent activism in America.