The Miami Dolphins are making a late playoff push, as they improved their record to 5-6 with a commanding 34-15 victory over the New England Patriots in Week 12. And now, they could be getting a surprising boost with veteran pass rusher Shaq Barrett set to unretire, and according to Mike McDaniel, it was a move that even caught him off guard.

Barrett signed with the Dolphins in the offseason, but he abruptly retired in July, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. On Tuesday, he applied to be reinstated to the NFL, as he wanted to unretire. Miami still has the rights to Barrett, and McDaniel revealed that he had no idea Barrett was planning to unretire until the news broke.

Per Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, “Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel said he was ‘caught by surprise this morning as I found out' of Shaq Barrett’s plan to unretire & return. Not much time to think about it. McDaniel said no communication with Barrett prior this Tuesday before Thanksgiving game he’s considering a return.”

Shaq Barrett's return creates sticky situation for Mike McDaniel, Dolphins

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On the surface, it seems like the Dolphins should be thrilled to potentially get some help on their defensive line in Barrett. The problem is that there are so many unknowns with his return. The team appears to have no idea what sort of shape Barrett is in, and if they do decide to welcome him back to the team, that means they would have to make a move to open up a roster spot for him.

Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, “Asked if he and Grier are open to a return by Shaq Barrett – who is unretiring – McDaniel said: ‘There's a reason you sign someone. I haven't had a chance to think about it. I'll get with Chris and we will work through that. There are a ton of implications that go through that with team and roster stuff.'”

Miami has some decisions they have to make with Barrett, but if he's in shape and ready to go, he could provide their pass rush with a huge boost down the stretch of the season. For now, the Dolphins are going to be focused on getting themselves ready for their Thanksgiving Day contest against the Green Bay Packers in Week 13, but once the game wraps up, they will have to figure out what to do with Barrett.