Getty Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks to pass over Shaquil Barrett #58 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This past Sunday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers knocked off the Kansas City Chiefs to stake claim to their second Super Bowl victory in the organization’s 45-year history.
Quarterback Tom Brady garnered most of the headlines, becoming only the second quarterback in NFL history to hoist a Lombardi Trophy in his first season with a new team, further cementing his status as the GOAT. Yet, it was Tampa’s defense that was arguably the true star of the big game.
Chiefs Superstar Patrick Mahomes was limited to just 270 yards passing on the night, was picked off twice and failed to find the endzone for the first time in his NFL career. Mahomes’ unforeseen struggles can be attested to a ferocious Buccaneers front-seven that pressured the former league MVP a Super Bowl record 29 times (per NFL Next Gen Stats). One of the key cogs in disrupting Mahomes was former New York Giants Pro Bowler Jason Pierre-Paul, who was among four ex-Giants players to win a ring in Super Bowl LV.
While Pierre-Paul has settled in South Florida and remains under contract through 2021, his pass-rushing counterpart Shaquil Barrett is set to hit the open market this spring. With the Bucs having numerous impending free agents looking to cash in this offseason, Barrett could be enticed to secure a big payday elsewhere.
Could that elsewhere be JPP’s former stomping grounds in East Rutherford? According to The Athletic’s Dan Duggan, that outcome would be “ideal.”
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Shaquil Barrett, the Answer to Giants’ Pass Rushing Needs?
In the words of Duggan, “The Giants have lacked a bona fide edge rusher since trading Jason Pierre-Paul to the Buccaneers in 2018.” While the team has had some success with low-priced players performing above their salary (Markus Golden in 2019 comes to mind), the presence of a true pass-rushing threat remains vacant on the edge of Big Blue’s defense.
Speaking of a “bona fide edge rusher,” Barrett is fresh off a postseason run which included 4.0 sacks, eight quarterback hits and three tackles for loss in four games. He’s also just one season removed from recording a league-high 19.5 sacks.
Simply put, the addition of Barrett to New York’s front-seven would be a home run get for the G-Men, and Duggan concurs.
Ideal option: Tampa Bay’s Shaquil Barrett
Barrett led the NFL with 19.5 sacks in 2019. He came back to earth with eight sacks in 2020, but his four sacks in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl confirmed his status as an elite edge rusher. The Bucs have some big decisions to make this offseason, but it’s unlikely that they’ll let Barrett hit the market.
Barrett led the league with 19.5 sacks in 2019. While he had only 8.0 during the 2020 regular season, he looked like a sack champion in Sunday’s 31-9 win over Kansas City. He was consistently in the backfield to pressure Patrick Mahomes, finishing with a sack and four quarterback hits.
Duggan also floated names such as veteran Melvin Ingram and Cardinals’ former first-rounder Haason Reddick as cheaper alternatives to Barrett, who by the sounds of it, would prefer to stay put this offseason.
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Barrett: ‘Ain’t No Other Place I’d Rather Be’
Following his Super Bowl LV victory, Barrett made no qualms about his preference of remaining in Tampa Bay.
“I know [there] ain’t no other place I’d rather be. So I’m pretty sure my agent will get talking to them, they’re gonna talk, and we’ll find a quick solution to this,” Barrett said, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. “I know I’ve found a home here. They gave me a shot. I earned a starting spot here. They gave me the freedom to play the way I wanted to play. And it’s just been working out. It’s been a perfect match since Day 1.”
Barrett added, “I love it here and I want to just keep proving them right.”
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