Rob "Boston Rob" Mariano has revealed why he turned down an opportunity to compete on Survivor 50 with other "iconic" players from the past.
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Rob, who has competed on Survivor five times and also appeared on an additional season of the CBS reality competition series as a mentor, took to Instagram on May 30 to share with fans why he won't be participating in Survivor 50, which is scheduled to air in Spring 2026.
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"Wow!!! I got all of your DM's and messages so so many thank you all!!" Rob began his post, along with a heart.
"But literally don't be mad @survivorcbs and @jeffprobst early on they called and asked... I just felt like I have played so many times and I am truly fulfilled with my Survivor Journey."
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Rob said he wanted his spot "to go to someone else that deserved another chance!"
The Survivor: Redemption Island winner continued, "I've gotten so much out of Survivor. It will always be a part of who I am! I'm eternally grateful. Like I said... It's gonna be OK. I feel like something good is coming!!!"
Rob wrapped his message to fans with a fire emoji as well as "#Survivor50."
Alongside his post, Rob posted a collage that Page Six had made of Rob appearing frustrated, tired and annoyed while he was playing Survivor on different occasions.
"Mood after finding out Boston Rob won't be joining 'Survivor 50' cast," Page Six had written over the collage.
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Many Survivor fans were hoping to see Rob on the cast list since he made recent appearances on Deal or No Deal Island and The Traitors.
Late last month, Survivor had announced the record-setting cast of 24 returning players who will compete on Survivor 50.
The 24 veteran castaways are a representation of Survivor's long-standing history, as they've been plucked from Season 1 -- which had premiered in May 2000 -- all the way through Season 49, which just wrapped filming and will air on CBS this fall.
Two of the Survivor 50's 24 castaways will be from Survivor's 49th season, and their identities will be announced at a later date.
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The Survivor 50 cast will also include two castaways who are returning for the fifth time -- Cirie Fields and Ozzy Lusth -- tying Rob's record.
Many fans have been complaining about the Survivor 50 cast since a whopping 11 of the 24 castaways are from the past five seasons of Survivor, and five of those returning players are from Seasons 48 and 49.
Survivor's middle era also appears to have been neglected given there are no Season 50 castaways who originally competed on Seasons 19 through 31.
Rob shared with TV Insider in May 2024 of a possible return to Survivor: "I don't feel any desire to go back there and play the game again, especially where they're just going to use me for a little bit and vote me out."
Rob added how it would take a "concept change" for him to appear on Survivor again.
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Rob is also very busy at home. He just celebrated 20 years of marriage with former Survivor castaway Amber Brkich in April 2025, and the pair have three teenage daughters together.
After appearing on their own original Survivor seasons, Rob and Amber met when they each returned to compete on Survivor: All-Stars in 2003. They ended up in the Final 2 together but Amber walked away with the $1 million via a 4-3 jury vote.
Rob proposed marriage to Amber during the May 2004 live season finale just after Amber had won the game, and they went on to wed in April 2005.
Rob and Amber's wedding aired as a special on CBS entitled Rob and Amber Get Married.
Also in 2005, Rob and Amber competed as an "Engaged Couple" on the seventh season of The Amazing Race and ultimately finished in second place.
Rob and Amber later returned to The Amazing Race as "Newlyweds" for its 2007 All-Stars installment.
While the pair set a record at the time for finishing the first three legs in first place, they were eliminated during the fourth leg of the Race.
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Between their two appearances on The Amazing Race, the couple also filmed a short-lived show for the Fox Reality Channel entitled Rob and Amber: Against the Odds. It aired in 2007 and ran for 10 episodes.
Rob and Amber then celebrated a more personal milestone when they welcomed their first child, Lucia, in July 2009.
Rob proceeded to give Survivor another shot by competing on the show's 20th season in 2010 dubbed Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. He competed on the villains' tribe and was the eighth castaway voted out of the game.
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Amber gave birth to the couple's second child, Carina, in December 2010, and then Rob was crowned the champion of Survivor: Redemption Island in 2011.
Rob and Amber went on to welcome two more baby girls -- Isabetta in May 2012 and Adelina in June 2014.
Rob later returned for Survivor's 39th season, Survivor: Island of the Idols, as a mentor for the new players alongside Sandra Diaz-Twine. However, he did not compete for the $1 million that season as a castaway.
Rob subsequently competed on the show's 40th season dubbed Survivor: Winners at War, but he finished in seventeenth place.