The NFL would have a public relations disaster on its hands if Michael Sam were not on a team’s roster, so the league did what it could to make sure that didn’t happen.
THEMMQB.com’s Peter King reported on NBC’s pregame show Thursday that the NFL contacted multiple teams regarding their potential interest in Sam after the defensive lineman was cut by the St. Louis Rams.
Sam played well in the preseason for St. Louis, but the team already was incredibly deep on the defensive line and decided to let him go. The Dallas Cowboys ended up bringing him in and signing him to their practice squad.
Though Sam proved in the preseason that he is worthy of a practice squad spot in the NFL at the very least, it’s unusual to see the league reaching out on behalf of one individual. This proves that Sam is getting some preferential treatment, which probably does not sit well with many people.
[Related: ESPN reports on Michael Sam’s shower habits]
In addition to the league making calls after Sam was cut, there has been a lot of speculation that they encouraged the Rams to select him in the draft. As it was, Sam was one of the last picks in the draft and not selected until pick No. 249 out of 256. It would have been an absolute disaster had Sam not been given a shot in the league. They know that and are trying to ensure that doesn’t happen.
