Former Bucs outside linebacker Carl Nassib announced his retirement from the NFL Wednesday morning, bringing his seven-year career to its end.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Carl Nassib (@carlnassib)

Nassib played three of his seven seasons with Tampa Bay, and they were the best of his career. Initially a third-round pick by the Browns in the 2016 Draft, he spent two years in Cleveland before being cut ahead of the 2018 season. It was then that his journey with the Bucs began.

In 2018, Nassib played a reserve role and played it well. He totaled a career-high 6.5 sacks, playing in 15 games and starting nine. He also had two passes defensed, two forced fumbles, 12 tackles for loss, and 14 quarterback hits.

Bucs DE Carl Nassib – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Nassib was just as effective in 2019 when Todd Bowles arrived as the Bucs’ new defensive coordinator. The former Penn State star came back with six more sacks that year, playing in 14 games and starting eight. He had another forced fumble and a fumble recovery, positioning himself well for free agency.

In 2019, Nassib cashed in on his success in Tampa, signing a three-year, $25 million contract with the Raiders. His time in Las Vegas wasn’t as successful as his time in red, white, and pewter, but he certainly made a major impact off the field.

He announced in June of 2021 that he is gay, and in the same statement, he pledged $100,000 to The Trevor Project, an organization committed to crisis intervention and suicide prevention among LGBTQ youth. That season, Nassib became the first openly gay player to appear in an NFL regular season game. His work with The Trevor Project has continued ever since.

Nassib’s time with the Raiders was ultimately cut short, which led him back to the Bucs in 2022. In what turned out to be his final season in the league, Nassib once again impressed off the bench for Tampa Bay. He racked up 3.5 sacks in 13 games (one start) while picking up three passes defensed and six tackles for loss.

Carl Nassib Thanks The Bucs In Retirement Announcement

Bucs OLB Carl Nassib – Photo by: USA Today

Carl Nassib announced his retirement in an Instagram post, and it was a post that included a lot of gratitude toward the Bucs, their front office, and their coaching staff.

“I want to also thank Jason Licht and John Spytek. These two reignited my career not once… but twice,” Nassib wrote. “I was fired twice and they picked me up both times. I played my best football in Tampa and it never would’ve happened if it wasn’t for those two legends.”

Nassib then went on to thank a couple of the coaches he worked with during his time with the Bucs, namely head coach Todd Bowles and co-defensive coordinator Larry Foote.

Nassib, 30, said in his retirement post that he will be dedicating his time to his company Rayze, which is a “mobile platform that uses positive social media to simplify the way we give back in the form of volunteering and donations.”