Why Ali Marpet was happy to walk away from $20m and the NFL at 28

Back in February, a key member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense sent shockwaves through the NFL when he announced his retirement after a storied career.

Unlike Tom Brady, guard Ali Marpet would not unretire 40 days later. And unlike Brady, Marpet opted to end his NFL career just as it had started to soar. A year removed from earning a Super Bowl ring, fresh off his first Pro Bowl, Marpet was done. At the age of 28.

“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 missed three games after a concussion in November 2020, and suffered mild symptoms afterwards. However, he says repeated subconcussive blows – which have been linked to brain trauma – are perhaps more significant.

Bearing the literal burden of an elite offensive lineman also took its toll. Marpet, who played at 300lb, developed sleep apnea and hypertension. “I was eating as clean as possible for a 300-pounder but having all the weight on your body is bad,” he says.

Still, despite all the risks, NFL players rarely retire voluntarily at such a tender age. Marpet had already earned over $37m in career salary and roster bonuses but he was due to earn another $20m in the final two years of his contract with the Bucs. Plus, Brady was coming back, an instant boost to the team’s Super Bowl chances.