Legendary NFL defensive lineman Julius Peppers took to The Players' Tribune on Friday morning to announce his retirement from the game of football.

“Anybody who knows me knows I’m not big on words and I don’t like to put myself out there, so I’m just gonna get right to it,” Peppers wroter. “Seventeen years is a long time to be playing this game. It’s two careers for a lot of people. I’m thankful that I have been able to play so long and still be healthy. I’m not all banged up and beaten down. I still feel good. But as much as I would love to play forever, I know that I can’t. It’s gotta end at some point. That point is now. Today, I’m retiring.”

Peppers spent the 2018 campaign with the Carolina Panthers, playing in all 16 games and registering 22 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and six passes defended.

The 39-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of North Carolina, played 17 seasons in the NFL. He was originally selected by the Panthers with the second overall pick of the 2002 NFL Draft.

He immediately showed his worth during his rookie season, racking up 35 tackles, 12 sacks, an interception, five forced fumbles and six passes defended.

By his third season, Peppers was a Pro Bowler and a First-Team All-Pro.

He ended up making nine trips to Honolulu and earning three First-Team All-Pro selections throughout his illustrious career.

Peppers played the first eight years of his NFL tenure with the Panthers before moving to the Chicago Bears in 2010, spending four years there. He then headed over to the Green Bay Packers for three seasons before returning to Carolina in 2017.