Following a 10-year career in the NFL, former Denver Broncos pass rusher Shaq Barrett has announced his retirement from football at age 31.
“It’s time for me to hang it up,” Barrett wrote on his Instagram page on Saturday. “It’s been a great ride and I appreciate everything that came with it over the years. I’m ready to shift my full focus to my wife and kids and helping them realize [their] dreams and catch em.”
Barrett’s retirement comes following a difficult 2023 season. Six months after he tore his Achilles, Barrett lost two-year-old daughter Arrayah in a drowning accident last year.
Barrett entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado State with the Broncos in 2014. After spending his rookie year on the practice squad, Barrett played four years as a rotational pass rusher in Denver, helping the team win Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season.
Barrett signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent in 2016 and had a career year with 19.5 sacks in his first season as a Buc. The following season, Barrett helped Tampa Bay win Super Bowl LV.
Barrett signed with the Miami Dolphins this spring before later deciding to retire. The pass rusher hangs up his cleats with two Super Bowls, two Pro Bowl nods, 125 quarterback hits and 59 career sacks on his resume.
Barrett and his wife, Jordanna, now have four children: Shaquil Jr., Braylon, Aaliyah and Allanah, who was born earlier this year.
