32-year-old veteran pass rusher Shaquil Barrett is making a return to Tampa Bay after a short time away. According to Greg Auman of FOX Sports, Barrett has cleared waivers after being cut by Miami and will sign with the Buccaneers. Auman’s initial report claimed it was a practice squad signing, but he later clarified Barrett would sign to the active roster. The deal is predicted to be made official tomorrow.
A two-time Pro Bowler during his five-year stint with the Buccaneers, Barrett was predictably released by Tampa Bay as a cap casualty following the 2023 regular season. Deciding to continue his playing career, Barrett signed with the nearby Dolphins, moving about three hours south. Four months later, though, Barrett changed his mind and announced his retirement from the NFL.
At the time of his announcement, the Dolphins left the door open for a potential return for Barrett, and after losing Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb for parts of the 2024 season, it seemed like Barrett returning to the fold could be a big development for Miami. When Barrett applied for reinstatement in late-November, though, the team opted not to accept his application, keeping him on the reserve/retired list and ensuring he would be ineligible to return for the Dolphins in 2024.
Ultimately, with Barrett making it clear that he had desires to return this season, the Dolphins made the move to waive him from the reserve/retired list. This transaction left two possibilities: either Barrett would get claimed by a team forcing him to remain on the reserve/retired list for the remainder of the 2024 season or Barrett would clear waivers and have the ability to sign wherever he prefers. There were fears that teams may claim Barrett simply in an attempt to block rival competitors from enlisting Barrett’s services for the final stretch of the season, but ultimately, Barrett went unclaimed.
Now a free agent, Barrett will move back home and sign with Tampa Bay. It’s been several years since we’ve seen the best versions of Barrett. His two Pro Bowl selections came along with the only two double-digit sack years of his career in 2019 (19.5) and 2021 (10.0). In 16 games last season, he only amassed 4.5 sacks. Still, his familiarity and veteran experience will be a strong addition to a middling Buccaneers’ pass rush as the team continues to battle with the Falcons for the NFC South title.