Earlier this week, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass rusher and Super Bowl champion Shaq Barrett decided to come out of retirement. He had originally stepped away from the game during the offseason after being released by the Bucs and signing with the Miami Dolphins, but he reportedly had a change of heart after a few months.
Almost as soon as Barrett made his decision, fans in Tampa Bay were doing the math on how a potential return might work out. It made perfect sense in theory, as the Bucs have been trying to replace Barrett every since he was released as a cap casualty back in February and have a serious need for pass rush help.
Unfortunately it’s not going to happen.
Miami controls Barrett’s rights and have decided to get an early start on being Scrooge’s ahead of the Christmas season.
Shaq Barrett blocked from returning to the Buccaneers
Not only did the Dolphins elect to not activate Barrett from the retired list, but they don’t plan on releasing him either which would have allowed him to sign with another playoff contender. Essentially, Miami blocked Barrett from returning to the NFL despite his desire to come out of retirement.
It’s a move that ends any hope of Barrett reuniting with the Buccaneers.
“The Dolphins have elected not to activate pass-rusher Shaq Barrett off the reserve/retired list, which means he will not play for Miami this season, per source,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported. “Miami also does not intend to release him and allow him to play for another team in the midst of a playoff push.”
It’s a pretty crappy move beyond just how it impacts the Bucs. Barrett made it clear he wants to return, but the Dolphins deciding to not activate him blocks him from joining any of the other teams in the league.
There’s no guarantee that Barrett would have returned to Tampa Bay, but a veteran with his experience — specifically when it comes to deep playoff runs — is extremely valuable to a team. That’s probably why Miami didn’t allow him to find work somewhere else, but it’s also puzzling that a team struggling with defensive injuries wouldn’t have activate him to help their own cause.
No matter what went into the decision, all we know is that Barrett won’t be coming back to Tampa Bay and the Bucs will have to keep looking for pass rush help elsewhere.
