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Jenna Laine, ESPN writer
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are re-signing former Pro Bowl outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett, a source confirmed to ESPN on Friday.
Barrett will waive the practice squad and immediately sign with the 53-man roster, pending a physical, according to a source.
Barrett, who led the NFL with 19.5 sacks in 2019, was released by the Miami Dolphins from their reserve/retired list earlier this week and cleared waivers on Friday. Barrett did not play for the Dolphins, who signed him to a one-year contract worth up to $9 million as a free agent in March. That deal came after his release by the Bucs, a move made strictly to free up cap space.
Appearing on the “Up & Adams” podcast in August, Barrett said there was a “perfect, perfect scenario” he could see himself coming out of retirement.
“I’m not doing it for any other stage or any other team or anything like that,” Barrett told host Kay Adams at the time. “I have a lot of history there. All those things that happened with my daughter and stuff, how it turned out for the family… It just meant a lot to me. Tampa has a special place in my heart.”
Barrett was referring to the death of his daughter Arrayah in April 2023, which coincided with his return from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in 2022. One of the team’s most memorable moments in 2023 was when Barrett intercepted a pass from Justin Fields and returned it for a touchdown, the first and only pick-six of his career, to seal a 27-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 2. Barrett pointed to the sky and dedicated the play to Arrayah, a moment that several within the Bucs organization said was the highlight of their season.
General manager Jason Licht said at the time of Barrett’s release that he “didn’t want to make that decision” but that the team would leave the door open for a possible return because of how highly he thought of Barrett as a person and player. .
With two games left in 2024, the Bucs still have a chance to make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, but they will need the Atlanta Falcons, who have the head-to-head tiebreaker, to lose one of their remaining Games and the Bucs will likely need to win .
The Bucs haven’t received the sack production they expected from their outside linebackers in 2024. Anthony Nelson leads the group with three. Most of their production comes from the interior, with defensive tackle Calijah Kancey posting 6.5 so far this season, fellow defensive tackle Vita Vea six and inside linebacker Lavonte David 5.5. In Barrett’s final season with the Bucs, he recorded 4.5 sacks and 52 combined tackles, including 33 solo.
The news that Barrett would re-sign with the Bucs was first reported by Pewter Report.
