Shaq Barrett is ready to rumble, and the Dolphins have finally released that reign.
Less than a month after Miami ended the linebacker's attempt to come back from retirement, the team announced it was taking Barrett off the reserve/retired list. ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Barrett, 32, will be eligible to play this season if he clears waivers Friday. However, Schefter said if he insists, he will be ineligible to play in the remainder of the season.
If he's at his best, the two-time Pro Bowler could be an added value to any franchise that makes or hopes to make the league's playoffs.
While the edge rusher has proven to be a threat, he hasn't played in a game in nearly a year and had his least productive season in 2023, right after suffering an Achilles tendon tear in 20022.
A team like the Lions, whose defense has been weakened by injuries, could give the veteran a chance and incorporate him into a rotation role.
“We are grateful that the Dolphins have given Shaq the opportunity to continue his career in the NFL,” Barrett's agent Drew Rosenhaus told Schefter. “Hopefully he'll get through waivers and become a free agent and be able to play again this season. He's in great shape and will be ready to play right away.”
On Thanksgiving Day, the Dolphins had refused to move Barrett from the reserve/retired list to the active roster before the league deadline.
Not being transferred meant that Barrett would not be able to play the rest of the season with the Dolphins or sign with another team.
To make matters worse, Miami will retain exclusive rights to Barrett through next season, as league rules state that players cannot retire and become free agents after the season ends.
“This is just a numbers game…I think the timing wasn't necessarily ideal,” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters at the time.
The Miami brass may have been a bit salty. If they feel disrespected, it's not without good reason.
The two-time Super Bowl champion signed a one-year deal worth $7 million in March, but was never a good fit for the Fins. The day before training camp began, Barrett informed the team of his retirement from the league, effective immediately.
Less than a month later, Barrett teased a “perfect, perfect scenario” for coming out of retirement during an appearance on “The Up and Adams Show.”
Barrett said he plans to return if Tampa Bay, where he played for five years and won a Super Bowl in 2021, takes him back.
The Buccaneers will have that chance if Barrett clears waivers on Friday.
