Too gay to play in the NFL

The NFL season has come and is almost gone. We have watched all the games from home with the excitement and enthusiasm that most fans have.

Each year, there is a growing list of “new” watchers. They are the former players who played in the NFL last year. Many of whom are just months away from playing in their last NFL games. Unlike most of us fans, they are waiting for a team to give them a call. Unfortunately, that call has yet to come and it may never come.

Sometimes players don’t get that call because teams feel they are too old. Or teams feel the players would be asking for more money than the team is willing to pay. There is one player, Kerry Rhodes, who hasn’t been called because teams may feel that he is gay.

Rhodes is a safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. Kerry was named to the 2006 “All Pro” teams by ESPN.com, Sports Illustrated and the Associated Press. He signed an extension with the Jets for 5 years , $37.5 million. On March 6, 2010, Rhodes was traded from the New York Jets to the Arizona Cardinals for a 2010 4th round pick and a 2011 7th round pick. Rhodes was released by the Cardinals on March 13, 2013.

During the 2013 offseason, Rhodes was photographed with his arm around another man, leading to rumors about his sexuality. It is believed that this may be the reason why he remains a free agent in 2013, despite being the 4th best safety in 2012 (according to Pro Football Focus).

Rhodes told TMZ this summer:

“Photos have been circulating of my former assistant and I that have caused some rumors regarding my sexuality, and I wanted to address the situation.”

Rhodes then says flatly, “I am not gay.”

Rhodes explains: “The shots were taken during a past vacation in a casual environment with my entire business team.”

Is Kerry Rhodes gay?

I don’t know.

Do I care?

No.

The one thing that I know about Kerry Rhodes is that he’s a damn good football player. I’m not sure how a player of his caliber is NOT on an NFL team this year. He had a good year last year with the Cardinals. I watch a lot of football each week and I am certain that Rhodes could help a team. It appears to me that these rumors have kept him off the field this year. I’m sure that he won’t admit that he’s being blackballed…but it certainly appears that way. Whatever he does behind closed doors is nobody’s business. NFL locker rooms are filled with guys who abuse drugs, alcoholics, homophobics, racists, and those who abuse women. Their behaviors are acknowledged and people don’t say much about it. If Rhodes is gay, he would be in a locker room with at least another teammate that is gay. There are gay football players in the NFL and the numbers suggest that it might be higher than you think.

NFL fans love Peyton Manning. Do you think they’d love him any less if he were openly gay? Would he still get the same endorsements? Would he be the face of the NFL?

NFL teams can say that they welcome gay players. But NFL teams (and, specifically, NFL coaches) don’t want distractions.

In the eyes of the NFL, Kerry Rhodes is a problem that they don’t want to have.