First Openly Gay Active NFL Player Grosses Top-Selling NFL Jersey Raiders Defensive End Carl Nassib's jersey was the top-selling NFL jersey the past two days.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Ethan Miller | Getty Images

NFL player Carl Nassib made headlines this week when he was the first active NFL player to publicly come out as gay, receiving an astounding outpouring of support among everyone from his teammates to President Joe Biden.

The Las Vegas Raider's defensive end made his decision to come out during Pride month via a video he posted to his Instagram account on Monday.

"I just want to take a quick moment to say that I'm gay," Nassib said to his followers on the platform. "I'm a pretty private person, so I hope you guys know I'm not doing this for attention, but I think representation matters."

During the clip, the pro athlete also said that he would be donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project, an nonprofit aimed towards suicide prevention among young LGBTQ community members, encouraging viewers to donate and learn more about the organization as well.

Nassib's post was genuine and well received — and it reflected in sales of his game day garb.

ESPN's Adam Schefter announced via Twitter that on Monday and Tuesday, Nassib's jersey was the top-selling NFL Jersey on sportswear giant Fanatics' website.

Though sizes appeared to be restocked by late Wednesday afternoon, it was reported that multiple sizes had sold out earlier in the week, directly after Nassib's announcement.

ESPN confirmed the report with Fanatics.

"So nice to see society has changed," one user responded to Schefter's announcement. "This would have so many hate comments even just 2 years ago."

"Love seeing the support for Carl Nassib," said another. "Well done!"

Carl Nassib was the 65th pick overall in the 2016 NFL Drafter where he signed with the Browns. He's since gone on to play for the Buccaneers starting in 2018 before ultimately signing with he Raiders in March 2020.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

This 29-Year-Old's Side Hustle Brought People 'to the Dark Green Side.' It Made $10,000 Within 2 Days and Sees 6 Figures a Month.

Nikki Seaman began work on her business when the pandemic led to grocery store shutdowns.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

Perplexity CEO Says AI Coding Tools Cut Work Time From 'Four Days to Literally One Hour'

Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas said that the startup's engineers are using AI coding tools.

Business News

Here's How Much a Typical Microsoft Employee Makes in a Year

Data from thousands of new federal filings shows how much Microsoft is paying its employees, from software engineers to product designers.

Business News

The Fyre Festival's IP Just Sold on eBay, and Founder Billy McFarland Isn't Pleased: 'Damn'

Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland sold his brand's IP and assets. Here's how much the new owner paid.

Business News

Here Are the 10 Highest-Paying Jobs with the Lowest Risk of Being Replaced By AI: 'Safest Jobs Right Now'

A new report from career resources platform Resume Genius finds the top 10 AI-proof careers expected to see the most growth within the next decade.