Following the departure of former All-Pro Shaq Barrett, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ pass rush simply hasn’t looked the same. Barrett spent years as a reserve in Denver’s rotation, but in his debut season in Tampa Bay in 2019, he led the league with 19 sacks.
Before joining the Miami Dolphins in free agency, Barrett would end his Buccaneers career with 45 sacks in five seasons. This collaboration didn’t last long because Barrett decided to spend more time with his family by retiring prior to the season.
However, Barrett has applied to be reinstated in the NFL, indicating that he is eager to return to the field. Although Bucs supporters would probably be thrilled to sign him, their southern rivals have first dibs on a contract.
The Dolphins do, however, retain Barrett’s contract rights because he signed with Miami and was not cut before deciding to retire. Tampa Bay will not have the opportunity to lure their former star back to his old residence because Barrett is interested in playing for Miami.
Buccaneers miss out on Shaq Barrett reunion due to Dolphins owning his rights
Although Barrett won’t alter the Tampa Bay pass rush’s structure, he is a definite improvement over a bunch that has become as one of the worst in the NFC. It appears likely that Tampa Bay will draft a pass rusher with one of their first several 2025 NFL Draft selections.
Due to the dominance of middle linebacker Lavonte David and two defensive tackles, Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey, Tampa’s top three sack scorers are neither outside linebackers nor defensive ends. Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and YaYa Diaby both have two sacks, while Logan Hall and Anthony Nelson each have three.
Instead, with Tua Tagovailoa fully recovered, Barrett will work to get Miami back into the postseason picture. While the Bucs must continue to hope for young guys to emerge in a very competitive division battle, the Dolphins can throw him into a poor pass rush room and let his speed take over.
Because of his game-changing sacks and performances in crucial games against championship teams, Barrett will always be remembered in Tampa Bay. Even though the Bucs could use a guy with his special set of skills, it doesn’t appear like a final reunion is in the cards.