Tuesday, the Dallas Cowboys became the second team to cut defensive end Michael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted in the NFL.
The St. Louis Rams picked up the former SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the seventh round of the NFL draft, but they released him in August.
The Cowboys then gave Sam a shot on their practice squad in early September, but the run was short-lived.
Sam did collect three sacks with the Rams during the preseason. But he mainly faced players on the backup roster, and whether his athleticism translates to the NFL has been called into question. So the question remains: does Michael Sam still have a shot to make an NFL roster in any capacity?
Around the NFL Editor Gregg Rosenthal thinks so. He says Sam's rough go thus far is not uncommon.
"Plenty of NFL veterans have been cut multiple times, so there's no reason to think this is the end of the road for Sam. ... There will likely be a spot for him when rosters expand again in the offseason." ESPN's Ed Werder agrees.
ESPN: "He is eligible to be signed by any team in the league. ... I wouldn't be surprised if somebody's willing to sign him to another deal like he had with Dallas. I don't know that he's going to be signed to anybody's active roster because that would've already happened."
In that vein, two New England outlets are already eager to suit him in a Patriots uniform, though the team itself hasn't said anything.
The Pats aren't necessarily hurting on the defensive side of the ball either, but they could add Sam because it's likely they'll have two spots available on the practice squad to maximize their roster, according to Comcast SportsNet.
Regardless of how the whole Sam situation plays out, most of the dialogue in the media has been consistent: the decisions to cut him — whether made by the Rams or the Cowboys — regard his playing ability, not his sexual orientation.
A USA Today writer also points out Sam has been off the radar in a good way. They said half the Cowboys fans they talked to Sunday didn't even know Sam was on the practice squad, and they say that's a positive sign — from a cultural perspective.
The co-founder of Outsports is quoted in USA Today's article saying, "It's been a non-story, and that's a good thing. ... If we were still talking about him in week seven, that would be a troubling sign because it would mean we're obsessing about someone who is one of 320 practice players."
Sam sent out a series of tweets Tuesday after the Cowboys cut him thanking the team and others. "While this is disappointing, I will take the lessons I learned here in Dallas and continue to fight for an opportunity to prove that I can play every Sunday."
This video includes images from Getty Images.
