Shaquil

Barrett

The 32-year-old retired last summer before returning late in the year. His rep, Drew Rosenhaus, said he will “definitely” play in 2025. It’s unclear if it will be with the Bucs. “We’ll never close the door on Shaq,” were the words of GM Jason Licht in February. “We’ll see where that goes. We never close the door on Shaq.” Barrett could be forced to wait until closer to camp to find out if he’s truly in the Bucs’ plans.

Barrett signed with the Bucs earlier this week after being released by the Dolphins. He usurpingly retired over the summer but decided to return late in the year. Still getting up to speed, he will look to make his return in Week 18.

Barrett abruptly retired over the summer after signing with the Dolphins as a free agent. The Dolphins cut him yesterday after keeping him on the reserve/retired list thus far. The 32-year-old had spent the 2019-2023 seasons with the Buccaneers prior to that, totaling a team-high 56 QB pressures in his final season with the team. Barrett rejoins an 8-7 Buccaneers squad that currently sits on the playoff bubble. He will immediately join the active roster, pending a physical.

Barrett will be waived from the Reserve Retired list and can be picked up by any team. If he clears waivers, he will be free to sign with any team of his choosing. Barrett applied for reinstatement to the league last month after announcing his retirement in July, but the Dolphins said they had no plans to waive the veteran linebacker or activate him at that time. Now, with an apparent change of heart, Barrett hopes to join a contender and compete in the postseason for a third NFL championship after winning two rings with the Broncos and Buccaneers.

The Dolphins had until Thursday to activate the 32-year-old, and have decided to not do so even with Barrett applying for reinstatement in hopes of playing in 2024. Miami will not release the 32-year-old, so he won’t be able to play for anyone until 2025.

Barrett, who is under contract with the Dolphins, retired from the league in late July. The former Bucs and Broncos EDGE rusher has 400 tackles and 59 sacks in the NFL but struggled with injuries in his final years before retirement. There’s an outside chance he could join the Dolphins as they make a late-season push to make the postseason. Miami has the NFL’s second highest sack rate through Week 12.

The news comes following EDGE Shaquil Barrett’s retirement announcement. Barrett’s March signing part of a front-seven depth reset after the unit suffered multiple season-ending injuries last year. The 30-year-old Ogbah played the last four seasons as a Dolphin but was cut as a cap-saving move in February. He most recently turned an 8.6 percent pass-rush win rate into 5.5 NFL sacks and remains a capable pass-rush contributor.

The nine-year veteran amassed 400 tackles, 111 assists, and 59 sacks while playing with the Broncos and Buccaneers, tacking on three interceptions and one touchdown. He signed a one-year, $9 million contract with the Dolphins in March before announcing his retirement shortly before camp. A former undrafted free agent out of Colorado State, Barrett burst into prominence with a 19.5-sack 2019 season while playing for the Buccaneers, a performance that fell just three sacks short of the NFL record held jointly by T.J. Watt and Michael Strahan.

The deal is worth up to $9 million. Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz was first on the scoop and Adam Schefter later added details. Barrett was released by the Bucs a few weeks ago for cap purposes. He is coming off a quiet year with just 4.5 sacks and three TFLs. He did, however, force three fumbles and take his only interception to the house for a touchdown. Even at 31 years old, Barrett can still make an impact on defense for a contending team. Having lost several key players on defense this offseason, adding Barrett is a strong sign for a Miami team looking to push past the opening round of the playoffs.

Barrett, 31, a two-time Pro Bowler, spent five seasons in Tampa and won a super bowl with the Tom Brady Bucs in 2020. He’s coming off a down year in Tampa, as his three tackles of loss was the lowest mark of his nine-year NFL career. Pro Football Focus in 2023 graded Barrett 34th out of 222 qualifying EDGE players. He’ll certainly see interest from multiple teams seeking EDGE help this offseason.