Raiders Rumors: Carl Nassib Released; Move Saves $8M in Salary-Cap Space

Carl Nassib's tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders has reportedly come to an end after two seasons. 

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Raiders will release Nassib. He will be designated as a post-June 1 release to save the team $8 million against the 2022 salary cap. 

The Raiders signed Nassib to a three-year, $25 million contract as a free agent in March 2020. He was originally a third-round draft pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2016. 

After two years with the Browns, Nassib was claimed on waivers by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in September 2018. The Penn State alum spent two years with the Bucs. 

Nassib made history during the 2021 season as the first publicly out player to appear in an NFL game. He announced on Instagram in June that he is gay, thanking the league, his coaches, teammates, friends and family for their support. 

The Raiders entered the offseason with plenty of cap space to make moves. They had the eighth-most cap space in the league before the start of free agency with just over $30 million available. 

Las Vegas has been fairly quiet thus far, with cornerback Darius Phillips and defensive tackle Bilal Nichols being the only notable additions. Phillips agreed to a one-year, $2.25 million deal on Tuesday, and Nichols was signed to a two-year, $11 million deal on Wednesday.

The Raiders are bringing a new coaching staff this season. Head coach Josh McDaniels hired Patrick Graham as defensive coordinator. They will look to improve a defense that ranked 17th in Football Outsiders' defensive DVOA and 26th in points allowed per game (25.8). 

Nassib has been a rotation player during his tenure with the Raiders. He recorded 13 quarterback hits, eight tackles for loss and four sacks in 27 games (five starts) over the past two seasons.