In a shocking turn of events, veteran defensive lineman Shaquil Barrett has changed his mind and told the Miami Dolphins that he will be retiring from the game of football according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Barrett also announced his retirement on his Instagram account Saturday evening after he signed a one-year deal worth up to $9 million back in March of this year.
He was a safety measure by the Dolphins since there was heavy injuries on the defensive line to such stars as Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips. The 31-year old previously played for the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he was in the NFL for nine seasons as he wants to spend more time with his family per Schefter.
This apparently was not a spur of the moment decision from the brief Dolphins star in Barrett who said in his announcement on Instagram that he has “been thinking about this for a while.” In looking back at his career, he expressed that it has “been a great ride and I appreciate everything that came with it over the years.”
“It's time for me to hang it up,” Barrett said on his social media page. “It's been a great ride and I appreciate everything that came with it over the years. I'm ready to shift my full focus to my wife and kids and helping them realize there dreams and catch em. Anyone who caught their dreams before know the work, time and consistency required to reach them. I'm ready to start building them skills up in kids which will take 100% commitment. [I know] to some it'll be a surprise but I've been thinking about this for a while and the decision has never been more clear then it is now.”
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A look at Barrett's career before the Dolphins
Barrett really has had an inspiring success story as he was undrafted rookie coming out of Colorado State being signed by the Broncos where he won his first Super Bowl in 2016. After spending four seasons in Denver, he would sign with the Buccaneers where people started to see his best version where in his first season with the franchise, he recorded a whopping 19.5 sacks.
While he would not reach that many sacks again with Tampa Bay, he still was a productive player on their defensive line and especially was integral to the 2021 team where he captured his second Super Bowl. As for other accomplishments, he was a two-time Pro Bowler and was Second Team All-Pro in 2019.
Fast forward to this year where he looked to stay in-state and sign with the Dolphins, but has mentioned before, he has decided to hang up the boots. This is no doubt a blow to Miami as they now hope to enter the season with a healthy Phillips and Chubb along with help from rookie Chop Robinson, Zach Sieler, and another veteran in Calais Campbell for their pass rush.
In any sense, the Dolphins will look to adapt without Barrett as they are trying to improve after a 11-6 record which put them second in the AFC East. They open the upcoming season against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Sept. 8.
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