Michael Sam Returns To CFL Team After Unexplained Absence

With no NFL prospects this offseason, Michael Sam had planned a stint in the CFL, until he abruptly left the Montreal Alouettes on June 12 without an explanation. Today, the defensive end returned to the team, telling the press that he “had to deal with a personal matter.”

Montreal has already started its season, but Sam won’t be playing right away. General manager Jim Popp says the player needs more time to prepare. Per Les Carpenter of the Guardian:

Because Sam has missed several weeks of practice and the Alouettes first game last Thursday, the defensive end will need three or four weeks of preparation to be ready for games. Popp likes his potential as a pass rusher, believing he has a skill that is very much in demand in both the CFL and NFL. He said Sam did a good job of adjusting to CFL rules that require defensive players to stand a yard behind the line of scrimmage and hopes Sam will abandon an unnatural rushing technique the team’s defensive coaches were urging him to use.

This whole situation, including the administration’s adjustments, is fishy. Do you know something about Michael Sam’s absence? Drop a line at tips@deadspin.com.

[ Guardian]

Photo: AP

Contact the author at samer@deadspin.com.