Dolphins decide not to reinstate linebacker Shaquil Barrett

Shaquil Barrett (YouTube)

One of the interesting storylines from the 2024 National Football League offseason was the decision made by linebacker Shaquil Barrett of Baltimore, Maryland to retire at the age of 31. Barrett had just signed with the Dolphins on March 18, and then decided not to play the 2024 season after all only four months later.

Then it was reported by Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports this week that Barrett had a change in heart. Barrett decided to unretire and applied for reinstatement. There was just one problem with Barrett’s plan. The Dolphins were not interested in reactivating him and to take Barrett off their reserve/retired list. According to Christian Gonzales of nfl.com, the deadline to activate Barrett was 4 pm on Thursday. Due to the fact the Dolphins did not activate him, Barrett will not be eligible to play in the National Football League for the remainder of the season. He cannot play for the Dolphins or any of the other 31 teams in the NFL.

At the time of the retirement, Barrett wanted to focus his time on his wife and children. In 2023, Barrett played his fifth consecutive season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after four seasons with the Denver Broncos. In 16 games, he had 52 combined tackles (33 solo tackles and 19 assisted tackles), three tackles for a loss, nine quarterback hits. one interception for a touchdown for four yards, two pass deflections. three forced fumbles, and 4.5 sacks. The pick six came in a 27-17 Buccaneers win over the Chicago Bears on September 17, 2023.

During Barrett’s NFL career, he had a memorable 2019 season. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and led the NFL with 19.5 sacks. Barrett also won the Super Bowl with the Broncos in 2015, and Buccaneers in 2021, and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the 2021 season.