Dolphins edge rusher Shaquil Barrett announced his retirement Saturday, a surprise move fewer than two months before Miami’s Week 1 matchup with Jacksonville to kick off the 2024 season.
Barrett, the NFL’s sack leader in 2019 and a nine-year pro, signed a one-year contract with Miami in March, following five seasons with Tampa Bay and four with Denver.
Barrett cited a desire to shift his full focus to his family and acknowledged that he had considered retiring for some time.
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Barrett logged 400 total tackles with 73 for loss, 59 sacks, three interceptions, 18 defended passes and 22 forced fumbles in his NFL career, in 131 games including 85 starts.
Undrafted out of Colorado State, Barrett signed with the Broncos and produced 5.5 sacks as a rookie following a promotion from the practice squad. He recorded 14 sacks in four seasons with Denver before signing with Tampa Bay in 2019.
It was with the Buccaneers where Barrett shined his brightest. He earned second-team All-Pro recognition and his first of two Pro Bowl nods after tallying 19.5 sacks in his first season with the team, and combined for 18 sacks between 2020-21.
An Achilles tear brought Barrett’s 2022 campaign to an end in Week 8, and his production declined last season when he returned to health. He posted 7.5 sacks over his last 24 games.
Still, Miami brought Barrett in to fill a critical role in the Dolphins’ edge-rushing depth, with starters Bradley Chubb (torn ACL) and Jaelan Phillips (torn Achilles) continuing to nurse season-ending injuries from last year.
Miami placed Chubb and Phillips on its active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list Thursday. Both players can be activated at any time, but at a minimum, they’re on track to miss some practice time as training camp gets underway this week.
In addition to signing Barrett, the Dolphins took Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson at No. 21 overall in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor shared in June that Jacksonville’s offensive coaching staff began scouting Miami’s defense — as well as Cleveland’s, the Jags’ Week 2 opponent — “as quick as possible” after the 2024 schedule came out in May.
With Barrett no longer expected to line up against Jacksonville offensive tackles Cam Robinson and Anton Harrison, it’s fair to wonder if Taylor and Co. have already returned to the drawing board in preparation for Week 1.
