NFL free agent Ryan Russell revealed in an ESPN story Thursday that he is bisexual.

Russell, a 27-year-old defensive end, was a fifth-round draft pick by the Cowboys out of Purdue in 2015. He has also played for the Buccaneers and Bills.

He has been out of the NFL since the Bills released him at the end of training camp last year. He has played in 23 career games, with six starts, all in 2017. He has three sacks and nine quarterback hits. He last appeared in a game in 2017 with the Buccaneers.

The ESPN story was written in as-told-to form, in Russell’s own words, with Kevin Arnovitz writing them:

Have I lied to teammates, coaches, trainers, front-office executives and fans about who I am? Not exactly. But withholding information is a form of deceit. And I want the next part of my career — and life — steeped in trust and honesty. During the season you spend more time with your team than with your own family; truth and honesty are the cornerstones of a winning culture. My truth is that I’m a talented football player, a damn good writer, a loving son, an overbearing brother, a caring friend, a loyal lover, and a bisexual man.

Today, I have two goals: returning to the NFL, and living my life openly. I want to live my dream of playing the game I’ve worked my whole life to play, and being open about the person I’ve always been.

Those two objectives shouldn’t be in conflict. But judging from the fact that there isn’t a single openly LGBTQ player in the NFL, NBA, Major League Baseball or the NHL, brings me pause. I want to change that — for me, for other athletes who share these common goals, and for the generations of LGBTQ athletes who will come next.

In 2014, the Rams drafted defensive end Michael Sam in Round 7 after he announced he is gay. Sam was also with the Cowboys that year, on their practice squad, but has never played in an NFL regular season game. He briefly was in the CFL in 2015. He has been out of football since.

Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.