For some strange reason, safety Kerry Rhodes was not generating as much interest as he — and others — believed he should be since being cut by the Arizona Cardinals in March.
While many had speculated about different reasons for his unemployment, Deadspin’s Drew Magary brought an interesting possibility to light. Magary believes that NFL teams could be blacklisting Rhodes because he might be gay.
Now, Pro Football Talk is reporting that the New York Giants will hold a work out for the 31-year-old defensive back on Tuesday.
The G-Men are currently short on talent at safety after Stevie Brown suffered an ACL tear in the preseason, landing him on IR. They have three safeties on the active roster.
Rhodes has denied the allegations regarding his sexuality, despite some photographs that were posted on Media Takeout earlier in the year of him with his arm around another man on vacation (those photos have since been removed from the site).
“From league source who requested anonymity: ‘There’s no buzz about Kerry Rhodes,’” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote in an email to Magary. “Also, from what I am hearing, I can’t disagree with the possibility Rhodes is being blackballed. You can quote me on all of this.”
A representative for Rhodes at 5 Star Athlete Management also told Magary that the athlete “got no tryouts after Week 1.”
This may not have been much of an issue, even with the rumors, had Rhodes been an average player. But he isn’t. In fact, the numbers indicate quite the opposite.
Still in his prime, Rhodes recorded 67 tackles, one sack and four interceptions last season. Pro Football Focus ranked the nine-year veteran as the league’s fourth-best safety, as Magary notes. He is also the only member of PFF’s top 30 safeties in 2012 without a job (with the exception of the retired Ronde Barber).
Rhodes was a fourth-round draft pick by the New York Jets in 2005 out of Louisville. After five seasons in New York, he played the past three with the Cardinals before his release.
Louis Musto is a reporter and sports talk host for the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. All quotes were acquired first hand or via team press releases unless otherwise noted. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.