employed by the NFL at the time? He was working with the NFL, representing the NFL, and built his career on the NFL.
But, even if he wasn’t affiliated with the NFL at all, I don’t think it matters. If you’re saying racist and homophobic things, then you get hired later, and your employer found out about it, wouldn’t that matter? I think so.
Everyone keeps saying that people should have the right to believe and say whatever they want, and I agree. You can choose to say/believe whatever, but you don’t get to choose the consequences.