Former is the operative word.
He doesn’t have any teammates. He’s not married. His kids are grown. If he is gay, surely his friends/family already know it.
He’d have no reason to be so into this guy that he’s throwing gay signals publicly, but also not honest about their relationship.
It’s not like he got caught holding hands at the gay club or something.
Those social media posts and his public image are very deliberate. I just don’t see him deliberately throwing signals but also thinking he’s hiding something.
I think he’s just enjoying the attention his goofy outfits are getting him, and also helping his friend cash in on some of the professional attention he’s surely getting right now.