Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib has just become the first active NFL player to ever come out as gay.

In an Instagram video he uploaded on Monday (June 21), Nassib made the announcement to all of his followers, many of whom left encouraging remarks in the comments section for the post.

“I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay,” he says to begin the video. “I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now, but I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest. I really have the best life. I’ve got the best family, friends and job a guy could ask for. I’m a pretty private person, so I hope you guys know that I’m really not doing this for attention. I just think that representation and visibility are so important.”

Nassib goes on to say that he hopes there will be a day where coming out videos like the one he just posted aren’t necessary, and that he’s donating $100,000 to the Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is a group that offers suicide prevention services for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Nassib has been in the NFL since being drafted by the Cleveland Browns in April 2016. In March 2020, he signed a three-year $25 million contract with the Raiders, a team he’s played for ever since. They restructured it this past March.

Responding to the news, the Raiders’ official Twitter account reposted messages Nassib wrote in his original IG carousel post. They included a supportive message: “Proud of you, Carl 🖤.”

For his part, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell “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,” Goodell said.

Watch Nassib make his announcement for yourself just below.