Mohamed Sanu, a long-serving NFL wide receiver who infamously blamed Lady Gaga for his Atlanta Falcons blowing a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl, has retired from football.
Sanu played in the league for 10 years but steps away from the game at the age of 36 to launch a career in podcasting.
He played for the Falcons in Super Bowl LI, where his team fell apart in the second half as Tom Brady and his New England Patriots team overturned what seemed an unassailable lead to claim glory.
Sanu said after the game that the length of Lady Gaga’s halftime show at NRG Stadium in Texas played a big part in his team’s astonishing collapse in 2017, where they eventually lost the game 34-28 in overtime.
‘It definitely did,’ he said of Gaga’s show. ‘Usually, halftime is only like 15 minutes, and when you’re not on the field for like an hour, it’s just like going to work out, like a great workout, and you go sit on the couch for an hour and then try to start working out again.’
Sanu made most of his NFL appearance s with the Cincinnati Bengals, who picked him in the third round of the 2012 draft. He also played for Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions.
Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu has retired from the NFL after a 10-year career at the age of 36
Sanu infamously blamed Lady Gaga’s halftime show for the Falcons Super Bowl loss in 2017
‘After 10+ years in the NFL, my playing chapter is closing,’ he wrote on social media on Friday, announcing that he is now moving into the podcasting world.
‘Grateful for every coach, teammate & fan. Excited to give back through coaching & share the game in a new way with the Facts Over Stats Podcast. The journey continues…’
Remarkably, Sanu threw a touchdown pass for the Bengals in 2012 before he caught one in the NFL.
In a September game against the then-Washington Redskins, Sanu came in as the quarterback and threw a 73-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Green.
Sanu joined the Falcons for the 2016 campaign and represented them in Super Bowl LI, where he had two receptions for 25 yards in that game.
Sanu was later traded to the Patriots in 2019, where he played alongside Tom Brady but didn’t win a Super Bowl with the legendary quarterback.
He would go on to play for the Lions and Niners and was last on the practice squad of the Miami Dolphins back in 2022. He draws a line under his playing days with 435 receptions and 4,871 yards and 29 total touchdowns to his name.
‘Retirement from the NFL isn’t the end of my story – it’s the start of a new chapter,’ Sanu added on Instagram. ‘After more than a decade in the league, living out the dream I set in my heart on as a kid, it’s time to step away from the field and reflect on the journey.
‘Even though my NFL chapter is closing, my mission continues. Now it’s about pouring my knowledge into the next generation, guiding the youth through coaching, and continuing to share the game in a whole new way with the Facts Over Stats podcast – where I break down football, tell stories from my career, and give fans a perspective straight from the players who lived it.’
