Dolphins’ Shaquil Barrett announces abrupt retirement after 10-year career

Linebacker Shaquil Barrett announced his retirement via social media on Saturday, four months after joining the Miami Dolphins as a free agent but just days before the team’s training camp.

“It’s time for me to call it quits,” Barrett said in an Instagram post. “It’s been an amazing ride and I appreciate everything that has come with it over the years. I’m ready to shift my full focus to my wife and kids and helping them achieve their dreams and catch them.”

He acknowledged in the message that the retirement may come as a surprise to some, but said he “has been thinking about it for some time and the decision has never been clearer than it is now.”

Barrett’s sudden announcement ends a 10-year career that included stints with the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning Super Bowl titles with each franchise.

The 31-year-old entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado State, signing with the Broncos in 2014 but not appearing in a game his rookie season. He made the Broncos roster in 2015 after leading the league in preseason sacks and played a key rotation role in the team’s Super Bowl run, starting six games.

Barrett remained a rotational linebacker in Denver until leaving for Tampa Bay in 2019. There, he flourished in a historic breakout season, recording a league-high 19.5 sacks to make the second-team All-Pro and finish fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. The 19.5 sacks were more than he had totaled in his entire five-year run in Denver and still stand as the Bucs’ franchise record.

He proved in 2020 that the breakout was no fluke, posting eight sacks and providing crucial pass rush pressure in the Bucs’ playoff run to the Super Bowl. In the NFC Championship Game, Barrett sacked Green Bay Packers’ QB Aaron Rodgers three times. He added another sack of Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl.

His strong play on the franchise tag earned Barrett a four-year, $72 million contract extension in 2021. He lived up to his contract with a 10-sack season, earning his second Pro Bowl nomination.

However, a torn Achilles tendon in Week 8 of the 2022 season ended his season, and though he returned to play 16 games in 2023, he proved less effective. He was released in February as a cost-cutting measure.

“Shaq’s contributions to the Buccaneers, both on and off the field, over the past five seasons have been extraordinary and he will be missed by many within and around the organization,” Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht said at the time of the release. “His leadership, work ethic and dedication to the game were unmatched and the courage he showed last season was truly inspiring. We are grateful for Shaq’s time here in Tampa and will always have a special place in our hearts for the Barrett family.”

Barrett was ranked No. 135 on the free agent list on The Athletics‘s big board this offseason, signing a one-year, $9 million contract with Miami in March. He was expected to play a key role as a situational pass rusher for the Dolphins as they make another postseason push.

Miami also begins training camp without pass rushers Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, as both are returning from injuries and are on the Unable to Perform list. The team selected defensive end Chop Robinson in the first round of April’s draft.

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(Photo: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)