St. Louis Rams cut Michael Sam, the NFL's first openly gay player

St. Louis Rams cut Michael Sam, the NFL's first openly gay player
(Image credit: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

The St. Louis Rams cut Michael Sam, the NFL's first openly gay player to be drafted by a team, today.

Sam was dropped in the final round of cuts, as teams narrowed their rosters to 53 players. The Rams could still put Sam on their practice squad, but for now, he is available to be picked up by one of the league's other 31 teams. Sam recorded 11 tackles and three sacks in four preseason games, and he told reporters after Thursday's "final exam" against the Miami Dolphins that he felt confident in his ability to play in the league.

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Sarah Eberspacher

Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.