Buccaneers Pro Bowl Guard Ali Marpet Unexpectedly Walks Away From NFL at 28

The offensive lineman for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ali Marpet, has announced his retirement from the NFL. The Pro Bowler announced the news over his Instagram account on Sunday. The news comes as a shock as Marpet, who just had a Pro Bowl season and is only 28, is taking such a drastic step.

Marpet posted a picture of himself in the Buccaneers uniform and wrote that after seven years with the team he has decided to retire. His thanks went out to the Tampa Bay organization and all the personnel involved.

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He added, “I’ve made Tampa Bay my home and I look forward to serving this community in the coming years. To the coaches and teammates, family and friends.…. I’m eternally grateful. Thank you, Tampa Bay.”

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been fortunate to have the offensive guard on the team. Marpet has missed only 12 games in seven seasons and is one of the best offensive linemen in the league.

Bucs will definitely miss the seven-time Super Bowl champion moving onto the 2022 season. However, after Marpet’s unexpected move, the team is faced with another challenge.

What caused Ali Marpet to suddenly announce his retirement?

At just 28 years of age, Marpet has obviously caused people to wonder why he is retiring at such a young age. However, ESPN’s Jenna Laine uncovered the actual reason behind Marpet’s retirement decision, thus clearing all the doubts. Laine reported, “I am told that Ali Marpet’s decision to retire was based on ‘overall health.’”

Later, Marpet’s father also spoke to ESPN. He said, “I think he accomplished his goals, values his health, is looking for more challenges. Ali has a very strong inner voice, and he is courageous enough to follow it. I’m in awe.”

Consequently, with Laine’s reports and Marpet’s father’s statement, it can be concluded that the guard’s decision was solely based on his health concerns. Nonetheless, with both Brady and Marpet went, the Bucs face a daunting task. Furthermore, many of their key players who contributed to their success are free agents this offseason.

Therefore, with the offseason already underway, it will be intriguing to see how the Buccaneers react and assemble a roster capable of winning a Super Bowl.

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