Carl Nassib Retires From NFL, First Openly Gay Active Player

Carl Nassib -- the first openly gay player to ever log time in a regular season NFL game -- is retiring.

The 30-year-old pass rusher announced the news in a lengthy post on his Instagram page Wednesday morning ... revealing he's hanging up his cleats in order to focus on his business endeavors.

"This is a bittersweet moment for me," he said in his announcement. "Football has given me more than I ever could have imagined. I can truly hang up my helmet for the last time knowing I gave it everything I had."

Nassib entered the NFL back in 2016 ... when the Cleveland Browns took him in the third round. He piled up 5.5 sacks in two seasons, before he signed on with the Buccaneers in 2018.

Two seasons later, he joined the Raiders ... and after one year with the team, he came out as gay. In his first game following the historic announcement, he made a play that helped Las Vegas log a victory.

Nassib went on to play for the Bucs one more time last season ... before ending his career Wednesday.

"It was always my dream to play in the NFL, even as a walk-on," Nassib said, "and I really feel like the luckiest guy on the planet."