Last week, the Dolphins waived former Pro Bowl pass rusher Shaq Barrett, allowing the unretired pass rusher to join the playoff team of his choice.
Barrett cleared waivers and re-signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team he last played for, for which he achieved Super Bowl glory. While discussing his return with the local media, Barrett confirmed he was interested in signing with Detroit or Philadelphia before Tampa came to the table.
Shaq Barrett said he initially looked at unretiring with interest in the Lions and Eagles, but he’s thrilled to be back in Tampa with a team and city he knows and loves.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 2, 2025
Barrett last played in the 2023 season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He signed with the Dolphins as a free agent in March, then retired in July before applying for reinstatement in November.
Barrett’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told Schefter that the edge rusher “is in great shape and would be ready to play immediately” for another team.
Barrett, 32, spent the first five years of his career with the Denver Broncos, winning Super Bowl 50. He later spent five years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and won a second Super Bowl, where he played 70 games for the Buccaneers and racked up 45.0 sacks, 249 tackles, 48 tackles for loss, 15 forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. Despite his relatively short tenure with the team, he ranks fifth in team history in sacks.
The veteran pass rusher has 59.0 career sacks and would have helped an Eagles team looking to make a deep playoff run.
