Kerry Rhodes Gay? [PHOTOS] NFL Rumors Swirl after Brendon Ayanbadejo 'Coming Out' Announcement, Football Star 'Vacations' with Close Male Friend

Just last week, former Baltimore Ravens linebacker and gay rights activist Brendon Ayanbadejo announced that he believed "at least four more NFL players were preparing to come out as gay." Following Ayanbadejo's interview with the Baltimore Sun, rumors started swirling that NFL free agent Kerry Rhodes was one of those gay players. MediaTakeOut claims that fans shouldn't "jump to conclusions," but the webloid found some private photos of Rhodes floating around on the web. In the collection of snapshots, a handsome man (allegedly Rhodes) is pictured on vacation with a male friend, and the two seem more than just a little friendly... read on for more details.

UPDATE: UPDATE: Kerry Rhodes Gay Rumors Debunked, Engaged to 'Mystery Woman?' After Ex-Lover 'Hollywood' Drama, NFL Star 'Set to Wed' Longtime Girlfriend in June [PHOTOS] 

Kerry Rhodes Gay PHOTOS: NFL Star Denies Gay Rumors after Brendon Ayanbadejo 'Coming Out' Announcement, Snuggles with Openly Gay Assistant 'Hollywood' on Vaca

Here's just one of the alleged vacation photos, check out MediaTakeOut for more.

It remains unknown if that's actually 30-year-old Rhodes in the picture, and no other details have yet emerged about the male companion.

Following Ayanbadejo's announcement, the search phrase "Is Kerry Rhodes Gay?" began trending on the web. Over the past years, several fans have wondering about Rhodes' sexuality, but as EveryJoe's reporter Stephen Kersey points out:

"For all we know, that could be his little brother, the pictures could be a joke, etc. Kerry Rhodes shouldn't have to come out and tell the world whether or not he's gay. But now that MTO has put him on blast, the NFL player will probably need to address it.

Making matters worse, Kerry Rhodes is a free agent. He's searching out a team in order to extend his NFL career. Encircling him with drama could cause his stock to plummet."

In the Baltimore Sun interview posted on Friday (April 6), Ayanbadejo states, "I think it will happen sooner than you think... We're in talks with a handful of players who are considering it. There are up to four players being talked to right now and they're trying to be organized so they can come out on the same day together. It would make a major splash and take the pressure off one guy. It would be a monumental day if a handful or a few guys come out."

Rhodes was once romantically linked to Nicole Williams.

What do Mstars readers think about the matter?