Outside linebacker Carl Nassib, who in 2021 became the first openly gay active player in the NFL, announced his retirement Wednesday.
Nassib addressed his decision in an Instagram post, calling his retirement a “bittersweet moment.”
“It really feels like just yesterday starting out as a walk-on at Penn State,” Nassib wrote. “Football has given me more than I ever could have imagined. I can truly hang up my helmet for the last time knowing I gave it everything I had.”
Nassib announced he was gay in June 2021, while he was playing for the Las Vegas Raiders. That August, he said the reaction to his announcement had been “incredible.”
“I thought nobody would care. But it was just such a good feeling to have all that support,” Nassib said during training camp in 2021. “I was glad to do my part to help bring visibility and representation to my community.”
Nassib, 30, last played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022, appearing in 13 games and recording 3.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. He played in seven NFL seasons after being drafted in the third round by the Cleveland Browns in 2016.
He said in his post that he would turn his focus to his company Rayze, an app that links people to each other and to nonprofits that appeal to their interests or are based where they live.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.