"I didn’t want any more of that" - Buccaneers star opens up on giving up Super Bowl run with Tom Brady
The chance to win a Super Bowl with Tom Brady is at the top of the list of many people's wildest dreams. However, with the chance set before him, one player elected to step away instead. Speaking to the Guardian, Ali Marpet outlined the factors that weighed into his decision.
Here's how he put it:
“The biggest reason for me was the physical toll. I didn’t want any more of that. There were things I wanted to accomplish in my career that I had done. 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."
People are always asking what brought me out of retirement. I just had an epiphany on the @Hertz set. Maybe all I needed was a vacation… https://t.co/VJATdGXGBD
He continued, alluding to a fear of CTE as a key force pushing him away:
"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."
Ali Marpet hasn’t talked much since his retirement, but good insights here on his decision and what’s next: twitter.com/hwsathletics/s…
While the future remains unclear for Marpet, he does have a vague idea of his intentions:
“I’m not entirely sure yet what my actual role will be, but I want to work with people in a one-on-one setting. I’m very eager and excited to build my skills and figure out where they can best aligned.”
Tom Brady outlasts another long-term veteran
At 29 years old, Ali Marpet is calling it quits. While he is several years younger than many retirees, he still had a substantial career in the NFL. When Marpet was drafted in 2015, Tom Brady was 37 years old. Most agree that had Brady retired in 2015, the retirement would have been considered "on time."
Instead, the quarterback has continued on to play for nearly another decade. The quarterback turns 45 years old in August. While Brady has long-term plans in place beyond his NFL career, there is no indication that 2022 will be his final season.
It is unclear as to whether Brady's long-time ally Rob Grownkowski will return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for one last year, or if he really does intend to call it a day. With the Buccaneers gearing up for an intense and highly anticipated campaign in 2022, it will be interesting to see how the situation develops.