Ali Marpet Opens Up About Retirement
May 18th, 2022
Pro Bowl LG Ali Marpet.
It shocked just about every person residing in Bucs fandom when on a quiet, lazy, Bromosa-drinking Sunday afternoon, Bucs left guard Ali Marpet announced on his Instagram account that he would retire.
It was a shock because Marpet had seemed to just hit his prime playing days. A few weeks prior he played in his first Pro Bowl.
Marpet hinted that he was concerned with the long-term effects of the brutal punishment linemen in the NFL absorb. Joe had heard through Bucs sources that the concussion Marpet suffered in the Super Bowl run of 2020 really had him freaked out.
Well, it seems Marpet had other health issues that sparked his retirement.
Marpet has remained relatively quiet since retiring. Though unafraid of the spotlight like some of his ex-teammates, Marpet recently agreed to an interview with Melissa Jacobs typing for The Guardian. There, Marpet pulled back the curtain more on his reasons for retirement.
“The biggest reason for me was the physical toll: I didn’t want any more of that. There were some things I wanted to accomplish in my career that I had done,” Marpet tells the Guardian. “I loved playing football. But one of my strongest values is health and if I’m really going to live out what’s important to me it doesn’t make sense to keep playing. There are also the unknowns of the head trauma of the NFL and how that plays out. Plus, your joints, the aches and pains that come with surgeries and all that stuff.”
Marpet told Jacobs that since being drafted seven years ago he has developed sleep apnea and hypertension.
An economics major, Marpet had previously mentioned that he sat down with his agent and tried to figure out how much money he needed to make in his NFL career so that he could live his comfortable life. He had already reached that earnings plateau.
Joe, since Marpet retired, not only heard Marpet was freaked out by missing three games in 2020 due to a concussion, but also was told he seriously considered retirement after the Super Bowl win.
Enjoy today’s Ira Kaufman Podcast! The Sage of Tampa Bay sports has plenty to say after the Bucs’ first OTA practice of the year.
May 18th, 2022 at 11:12 am
Wish him nothing but the best. Go Bucs!
May 18th, 2022 at 11:13 am
I think he played it smart on and off the field. Good for him!!!!!!
May 18th, 2022 at 11:20 am
Can’t fault a man for looking out for his long term health. Football is a short part of his life. He has the next 60 or so years to think about. All the best to Ali in retirement and we thank him for his contribution to Bucs history.
May 18th, 2022 at 11:22 am
For selfish reasons I wished Marpet would have gutted it out for one more season, but I appreciate the fact that he was aware of the long-term detrimental effects that game can have on his body. I wish him all the best in having a healthy and long life after football.
May 18th, 2022 at 11:26 am
What a great Buccaneer. Among the many opportunities, he should have a business counseling young athletes coming to pro sports about investing, about managing your money, and lots of people would be well served to understand the “number” after which any additional money is gravy.
Miss him, but cool that he sticks around and offers help to players coming in. What a stud.
May 18th, 2022 at 11:30 am
Eagles just landed bradberry. Some of these nfc teams are getting better.
May 18th, 2022 at 11:32 am
Thanks for the background… multiple health issues, concussion, joints, hypertension and sleep apnea certainly should get your attention. Tough decision and seemingly a good one for him.
I remember seeing Brad Culpepper show up a training camp the year after the Bucs cut him in the last TC cut down. I had to do a double take as he had shed so much weight.
May 18th, 2022 at 11:37 am
Thanks for your years here Ali. Mad respect for your decision to walk away while you still can walk.
Marpet will succeed at whatever he sets his mind too.
May 18th, 2022 at 11:41 am
Carry all that weight doesn’t help with hypertension and sleep apnea. You can tell he took that seriously as he looks like he’s lost at least 50 lbs already.
May 18th, 2022 at 11:44 am
Great decision by Marpet and I wish him well in all his future endeavors. He won a Super Bowl and earned a Pro Bowl spot. He never struck me as a guy where football was the #1 thing in his life. Since that’s the case what else could he possibly hope to accomplish by battering his body even more especially when he has a degree in Economics.
May 18th, 2022 at 11:46 am
At least he did his team a solid by retiring before the Draft and not right before the regular season started.
May 18th, 2022 at 11:49 am
Ali did things the right way and although I selfishly wish that he were still playing since he was damn good, I wish him all the best.
May 18th, 2022 at 11:53 am
I know many of the guys screw up and never have the money to show for it, but I find it humorous that when you’re a starter in the NFL for seven years and take home more money than most people will even think about making in forty years of work, that you’re not sure if it’s going to be enough.
Especially since he’s not going to be siting around on a rocking chair the rest of his life and never earning another dollar. He’s a smart guy and will be doing something.
Anyway, it does sound like the right move for him. Thanks for the great years of play, Ali.
May 18th, 2022 at 11:59 am
good for him although
“he has developed sleep apnea and hypertension.”
thats called getting older
May 18th, 2022 at 11:59 am
he has developed sleep apnea and hypertension.
age
May 18th, 2022 at 12:02 pm
He’s a total pro
May 18th, 2022 at 12:04 pm
Think that concussion he had was a big factor in his choice
May 18th, 2022 at 12:12 pm
Where is this photo of post retirement skinny Ali?
May 18th, 2022 at 12:22 pm
We got so much out of him….he gave his all! Im happy for him that he had a great career and can focus on his health and well being now. A great guy too.
May 18th, 2022 at 12:32 pm
I will forever love that dude. The perfect attitude for anyone, athlete or otherwise.
May 18th, 2022 at 12:41 pm
Always remember him road grading for Lenny in the Super Bowl. The money these guys make, they should leave before the long term effects. Hope he does what he enjoys.
May 18th, 2022 at 12:53 pm
A concussion knocked him out of the game for 3 weeks!!!
That’s a big scary concussion.
Like Kuechly, I’m glad Ali retired.
May 18th, 2022 at 1:10 pm
The excess weight can cause sleep apnea & hypertension…..but the concussion is the serious and scary issue…
Sometimes we forget that the player always has the option to step away from the game…….Good luck Ali.
May 18th, 2022 at 1:55 pm
Great for him and well deserved. You have to be 100% all in to put your body through that. Thanks for what you gave us Ali.
May 18th, 2022 at 2:09 pm
He earned it, enjoy it Ali.
May 18th, 2022 at 2:26 pm
Typical millennial lady-man.
May 18th, 2022 at 2:28 pm
I don’t blame him. I wonder if Brady would not have done the head fake retirement if he would have stayed one more year. I’m sure Ali would say no, but I’m sure playing one more year with Brady may have swayed him.
May 18th, 2022 at 2:34 pm
It’s his decision. Not up to anyone else to make for his future. Glad for him and wish him the best in all his future endeavors.
May 18th, 2022 at 2:40 pm
Bleah, Bleah, Bleah — makes you wonder how guys play 15 years!
May 18th, 2022 at 2:43 pm
Robert both sleep apnea and hypertension have a lot to do with carrying extra weight. Age can contribute, but being overweight has a huge correlation to both of those and he’s not that old yet. Even if it doesn’t completely go away losing weight makes both a lot more manageable
May 18th, 2022 at 3:48 pm
Will be interesting to see if Gronk calls it a career. I think that rib injury reminded him of why he retired the first time. Gronk definitely looks hesitant to take a hit low. Seeing Marpet walk with his health and money might impact Gronk.
May 18th, 2022 at 5:08 pm
Say Tom E. Guys often play for 15 yrs because of the Money. They have spent their earning foolishly and always figure..just one more contract..and then another….Marpet is just calculating Smart. And he’s right about the pains and injuries which take p[layers into their retirements. He was not a fancy cars or jewelry type guy..saving him millions there alone. I just gotta throw much respect to a guy who gets out while he’s ahead with enough saved and his health intact.
He is amongst the very smart few.
May 18th, 2022 at 5:14 pm
The Guardian interview is a great one to read. I didn’t know that he was Jewish (which is rare for an NFL player) and also that he really was never into football at all from an early age. Very interesting in its entirety. I wish him the best and miss him.
May 18th, 2022 at 5:35 pm
@Rod Munch
That “lady man” would whoop your boomer a$$. Even in your prime.
May 18th, 2022 at 5:36 pm
total class act can’t blame someone for walking away
May 18th, 2022 at 6:58 pm
Didn’t know this going in? I have sleep apnea, I still go to work. Frigging baby, money grab!! Brady’s on year 23, ya think he’s been hit once or twice?
May 18th, 2022 at 9:19 pm
I get it on his end. Gotta do what’s best for you. But the thing that gets me is these guys that retire due to concussions. Not that they’re wrong for doing so, I just wonder how they got this far to begin with.
Did they really play high school and college without getting a concussion? Were they just so dominant that they never experienced one? Maybe they were just mild? Or maybe they just got older and what was once tolerable became intolerable?
I had at least two concussions in high school football (you can attribute any of my bad opinions to this if you’d like) but I played through them. And this wasn’t the 80s or something. This was the late 2000s. Coach might put a flashlight in your eye and then you were back out there. Not that I’m some warrior, it’s just the way it was. Maybe one day I’ll get my settlement check (lol)
Anyways, the sleep apnea would scare the S out of me. Going to sleep with a darth vader mask every night in my twenties? No thanks
May 18th, 2022 at 9:25 pm
May peace reside with you forever. Enjoyed your play. Thanks.
May 18th, 2022 at 10:17 pm
Good luck bud. Should have played one more year with Brady. Unfinished business
May 18th, 2022 at 11:34 pm
Quitter
May 19th, 2022 at 7:44 am
If you have not seen the film ” Concussion” with Will Smith , you should see it before you open your yap and say anything derogatory about Marpet. In the United States we all have the right to retire from any job at anytime for any reason. Only in a Communist state like Russia would you be forced or coerced to continue working somewhere against your free will. So you haters should get on a plane to Russia and volunteer to help them in their war against Ukraine-I hear they need the help.
May 19th, 2022 at 2:23 pm
Smart guy great player wish him all the best
May 19th, 2022 at 9:00 pm
Definitely will miss him but I can’t believe any NFL player for coming to the conclusion that their long-term health for the rest of their life is more important.