Former defensive end Shaq Barrett has had an interesting offseason, to say the least. That offseason got a little more interesting with his latest interview on “Up and Adams” with Kay Adams. Barrett was on the show Friday morning and Adams asked Barrett if there was any scenario in which he would come out of retirement and return to the NFL.
Barrett had left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after last season and signed with the Miami Dolphins during free agency. However, earlier this training camp, Barrett made the decision to leave the Dolphins, and the NFL entirely, and retire to spend more time with his family. When asked if there was any scenario in which he would return to the NFL, Barrett was dodgy at first, but did freely admit that there was one scenario that could bring him back to the league.
After some pressure from Adams, Barrett admitted that it was “for a team he’s previously played for”, which narrowed the options down for Adams to the Denver Broncos and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Adams threw out the Bucs, and after a bit, Barrett copped to them being the team he’d come back for, saying:
I won’t do it for any other scenario or any other team. I have a lot of history down there. All that stuff with my daughter and how they came through for my family. … I’d take pay cuts for Tampa. I’d do anything for Tampa for the way they showed up for my family. … It meant so much to me. Tampa has a special place in my heart.
Barrett was quick to say that he is happily retired and that he’s “not returning anywhere”. He’s also quick to point out that there has been no communication between him and the Bucs about a possible return to the NFL. Yet.
Barrett had his most successful years as a member of the Bucs, winning the second of his two Super Bowls in 2020, going to two Pro Bowls as a member of the team and putting up his only two seasons with double-digit sacks, including leading the league in sacks in 2019 with 19.5.
On paper, the Bucs could certainly use the help at the position, heading into the season with Yaya Diaby and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka slated as the team’s two primary pass rushers. Will Tampa make a call to Barrett at some point this season? That remains to be seen, but it seems like Barrett would be receptive to the idea of a comeback.