The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have re-signed former Pro Bowl outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett, the team announced Saturday.
Barrett will forgo the practice squad and sign to the 53-man roster, a source told ESPN.
In other moves, the Buccaneers activated punter Jack Browning to the 53-man roster and reinstated both safety Jordan Whitehead and wide receiver Kam Johnson from injured reserve. Linebacker Deion Jones and quarterback Michael Pratt have been elevated from the practice squad. The team has also waived linebacker Vi Jones.
Barrett, who led the NFL with 19.5 sacks in 2019, was waived by the Miami Dolphins from their reserve/retired list earlier this week and cleared waivers Friday. Barrett did not play for the Dolphins, who signed him to a one-year deal worth up to $9 million as a free agent in March. That deal came after his release by the Buccaneers, a move done strictly to free up salary cap space.
Appearing on the “Up & Adams” podcast in August, Barrett said there was a “perfect, perfect scenario” he could see himself coming out of retirement for.
“I won’t do it for any other scenario or any other team or anything like that,” Barrett told host Kay Adams then. “I have a lot of history down there. All that stuff that happened with my daughter and stuff, how they came through for the family. … It just meant so much to me. Tampa got a special place in my heart.”
Barrett was referring to the April 2023 death of his daughter Arrayah, which coincided with his comeback from a torn Achilles tendon sustained in 2022. One of the team’s most memorable moments in 2023 was when Barrett intercepted a pass from Justin Fields and returned it for a touchdown — the first and only pick-six of his career — to seal a 27-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 2. Barrett pointed at the sky and dedicated the play to Arrayah, a moment several within the Buccaneers organization said was a highlight of their season.
General manager Jason Licht said at the time of Barrett’s release that he “did not want to make that call” but that the team would leave the door open for a possible return because of how highly it thought of him as a person and a player.
With two games to go in 2024, the Buccaneers still have a shot at making the playoffs for the fifth straight season, but they will need the Atlanta Falcons — who hold the head-to-head tiebreaker — to lose one of their remaining games and Tampa Bay probably needs to win out.
The Buccaneers have not received the sack production they had hoped for from their outside linebackers in 2024. Anthony Nelson leads the group with three. The majority of their production has come from inside, with defensive tackle Calijah Kancey notching 6.5 sacks this season, defensive tackle Vita Vea with six and inside linebacker Lavonte David with 5.5.
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In Barrett’s final season with the Buccaneers, he had 4.5 sacks and 52 combined tackles, including 33 solo.
Bengals’ Cade York doinks potential game-winning FG in OT (0:22)
Cade York attempts a potential game-winning field goal for the Bengals only for it to bounce off the post vs. the Broncos. (0:22)
- Ben Baby covers the Cincinnati Bengals for ESPN. He joined the company in July 2019. Prior to ESPN, he worked for various newspapers in Texas, most recently at The Dallas Morning News where he covered college sports. He provides daily coverage of the Bengals for ESPN.com, while making appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN’s NFL shows and ESPN Radio programs. A native of Grapevine, Texas, he graduated from the University of North Texas with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He is an adjunct journalism professor at Southern Methodist University and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
- Jeff Legwold is a senior writer who covers the Denver Broncos and the NFL at ESPN. Jeff has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years, joining ESPN in 2013. He also assists with NFL draft coverage, including his annual top 100 prospects. Jeff has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999. He has attended every scouting combine since 1987.
CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals kept their playoff hopes alive with a 30-24 overtime win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday at Paycor Stadium as the Broncos were denied a postseason-clinching win for the second consecutive week.
Receiver Tee Higgins caught his third touchdown pass of the game in overtime to keep the Bengals alive for the playoffs entering the final weekend of the season. The Broncos are still in the best position for the AFC’s seventh and final playoff spot, as they need only a win next week over the Chiefs to qualify. But they were denied Saturday.
Here are the most important things to know from Saturday night for both teams:
