Defensive lineman Carl Nassib, who became the first openly gay player to appear in an NFL regular-season game in 2021, announced his retirement on Instagram on Wednesday.
Nassib, 30, played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year -- his second stint with the club.
Nassib spent the previous two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders after playing 29 combined games with Tampa Bay during 2018 and 2019. Nassib started his career with Cleveland after being a third-round draft pick out of Penn State in 2016.
Nassib called it a "bittersweet moment."
He said he will be focusing on 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.
"Football has given me more than I ever could have imagined," Nassib said. "I can truly hang up my helmet for the last time knowing I gave it everything I had."
4:57