St. Louis, MO -
NFL teams over the weekend had an opportunity to pick up Michael Sam, the NFL's first openly gay player to be drafted, but none elected to do so.
According to ESPN, after the St. Louis Rams cut Sam from their roster on Saturday, teams had 24 hours to sign him.
The 24-year-old defensive end still has a chance of making it into the NFL this year by joining a practice squad.
"The journey continues," a hopeful Sam tweeted to his more than 183,000 followers on Saturday.
Rams head coach Jeff Fischer told reporters Saturday that he had been "pulling for" Sam and that the decision to release him was "a football decision."
Fischer said Sam was never a distraction: "There were no issues, that's the thing. No issues in the team meeting room, on the field, anyplace."
But the likelihood of Sam joining the Rams' 10-player practice squad is small. That's because the team's defensive line, Sam's position, is its strongest unit.
In a joint editorial, Outsports.com co-founders Jim Buzinski and Cyd Zeigler said Sam deserved a shot in the league.
"Sam has proven he can play in the NFL. ...[H]e's played well or very well in each of his three preseasons games," they wrote.
(Related: Bryan Fischer: Michael Sam firing shows bakers can discriminate against gays.)
According to ESPN, after the St. Louis Rams cut Sam from their roster on Saturday, teams had 24 hours to sign him.
The 24-year-old defensive end still has a chance of making it into the NFL this year by joining a practice squad.
"The journey continues," a hopeful Sam tweeted to his more than 183,000 followers on Saturday.
Rams head coach Jeff Fischer told reporters Saturday that he had been "pulling for" Sam and that the decision to release him was "a football decision."
Fischer said Sam was never a distraction: "There were no issues, that's the thing. No issues in the team meeting room, on the field, anyplace."
But the likelihood of Sam joining the Rams' 10-player practice squad is small. That's because the team's defensive line, Sam's position, is its strongest unit.
In a joint editorial, Outsports.com co-founders Jim Buzinski and Cyd Zeigler said Sam deserved a shot in the league.
"Sam has proven he can play in the NFL. ...[H]e's played well or very well in each of his three preseasons games," they wrote.
(Related: Bryan Fischer: Michael Sam firing shows bakers can discriminate against gays.)
Article provided in partnership with On Top Magazine
