Former Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib, who became the NFL’s first openly gay player in 2021, has retired from football.
Nassib announced his decision to retire during an interview on CBS Mornings.
“Football has been something I’ve been doing since I was eight, and I just felt like I’m very proud of my career,” Nassib explained. “I’ve played a lot of games, played a lot of football, and I’m ready to move on to the next chapter.”
Nassib was a walk-on at Penn State but quickly earned attention and eventually landed in the NFL with Cleveland in 2016. Nassib would play with Cleveland, Tampa, Las Vegas, and Cleveland again throughout his career.
Nassib says the next part of his life after football will focus on the new company he recently founded, Rayze. An app that helps users donate to causes they care about.
“I feel like Rayze is kind of what I was meant to do,” Nassib said.
That doesn’t mean that Nassib doesn’t feel sadness about leaving the game he’s played since childhood.
“It’s sad. I feel like someone’s dying. Like I feel like this whole big part of my life is over, but now I get to move on to this next big beautiful chapter,” Nassib said.
Carl Nassib #94 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lines up on defense during a game between Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on November 6, 2022, in Tampa, FL. (Jason Allen/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
As far as the future of openly gay players in the NFL, Nassib believes there will be more. But, he also thinks no one should seek to “accelerate” their process of coming out.
“Everybody’s on their own journey. I’ve never once wanted to accelerate anybody’s process. It is such a personal and really beautiful thing. And I think that people can, you know, cherish those moments at their pace. And if you ever need somebody to talk to, I’m here for you,” he said.
Nassib ends his seven-year career with 187 tackles, 25.5 sacks, and one interception.