The Las Vegas Raiders are releasing edge rusher Carl Nassib, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Wednesday.
Nassib spent two seasons in Vegas, generating four sacks, 49 tackles and an interception as a rotational edge rusher.
The 28-year-old became the first openly gay active NFL player last offseason.
The Raiders will designate Nassib as a post-June 1 cut, saving the team $8 million on the salary cap in 2022 by spreading the hit over two years. Nassib was the first move of multiple moves on the front-seven by the Raiders on Wednesday. Las Vegas is also set to sign top pass rusher Chandler Jones and is trading Yannick Ngakoue to the Colts, per Rapoport and NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
Nassib is free to sign with any team.
A former third-round pick by the Browns in 2016, Nassib spent two seasons in Cleveland and two years in Tampa Bay before landing in Vegas. In six seasons, he's compiled 22 sacks.
Nassib remains a solid rotational rusher, but his $7.75 million base salary was too rich for a player who played just 242 defensive snaps and earned 1.5 sacks last season.
With the NFL in constant need of edge-rushing depth, Nassib should have no problem finding a job this season -- it just likely won't be for $7 million.
