A familiar face appears to be back in the NFC South.
Linebacker Shaquil Barrett is reportedly re-signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers upon clearing waivers, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Friday.
The 32-year-old was waived by the Miami Dolphins on Thursday off the reserved/retired list. Barrett had signed with the Dolphins on a one-year, $9-million deal ahead of the 2024-25 season before he abruptly decided to retire just prior to the start of training camp.
“We appreciate the Dolphins giving Shaq this opportunity to continue his career in the NFL,” Drew Rosenhaus, Barrett’s agent, said upon the news of the linebacker being waived. “He is in great shape and would be ready to play immediately.”
Barrett had 4.5 sacks for the Buccaneers last season and has 59 sacks over his career. The Baltimore, Maryland, native led the league in sacks with 19.5 in 2019, was named to the second-team All-Pro, and came fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
The reunion is a welcomed addition for Tampa Bay, which is in a race with the Atlanta Falcons for the NFC South title. The Buccaneers and Falcons currently hold identical 8-7 records but Atlanta owns the head-to-head tiebreaker (2-0), meaning fate is out of Tampa Bay’s hands as of now. A lot can change in the final two weeks, however, as a win or loss for either squad could quickly determine which team is hosting a playoff game in a couple weeks.
The Buccaneers return to action on Sunday, hosting another NFC South rival in the Carolina Panthers.
