Getty Veteran NFL pass rusher Shaq Barrett walking around ahead of an NFL game.
The New York Jets nearly signed veteran pass rusher Shaq Barrett this offseason during free agency. Now he won’t be playing for anyone in 2024 or beyond.
Adam Schefter of ESPN broke the news on X previously Twitter that Barrett was retiring from the NFL so he could, “spend more time with his family.”
The former Colorado State product signed a one-year deal for $7 million with the Miami Dolphins this offseason.
Just in: Two-time Pro-Bowl linebacker Shaquil Barrett informed the Dolphins that he wants to spend more time with his family and he now will be retiring from the NFL. Barrett also was a two-time Super Bowl champion who played four seasons with Denver and five with Tampa Bay.
Miami Gets Dealt Another Big Blow on Defense
The green and white kicked the tires on a variety of pass-rushing options this offseason. New York hosted Jadeveon Clowney for a free agent visit who ended up signing with the Carolina Panthers and they were hot and heavy after Barrett.
Barrett revealed to Xfinity Sports Network radio host, Zach Gelb, earlier this offseason that he was going to sign with the Jets “all the way” until the Dolphins swooped in last second.
Not only did he not sign, but he also said another factor in his decision-making process was Miami being “more established” and “more proven” than the Jets.
That argument didn’t seem to hold water then and it certainly hasn’t aged any better since. Miami has the longest active playoff win drought in the NFL.
The Dolphins haven’t won a playoff game since the year 2000. For context, Bill Clinton was still in office the last time Miami won a single postseason contest (h/t Jake Asman).
Over the last 24 years, the Jets have won six playoff games and that includes a pair of trips to the AFC Championship game.
This surprising Barrett news is a massive blow to the fish. Barrett, 31, is a dynamic pass rusher who has notched 59 sacks, 125 quarterback hits, and 73 tackles for loss.
Miami has suffered several key losses on the defensive side of the ball this offseason including Christian Wilkins, Raekwon Davis, Andrew Van Ginkel, Jerome Baker, Xavien Howard, and Brandon Jones.
Two of the Dolphins’ biggest standouts on defense, Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips, are both recovering from serious injuries and will miss chunks of the upcoming 2024 season.
Jets Nearly Landed Barrett Which Would Have Changed the Offseason
New York missed out on Barrett and they ultimately pivoted to a trade to land Haason Reddick from the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Jets didn’t know that after missing out on Barrett they would land someone better but that is exactly what happened.
Barrett hadn’t had a double-digit sack season since 2021. While Reddick on the other hand has had four straight double-digit sack seasons heading into 2024.
The Jets are trying to win a Super Bowl and the pressure is on everyone to win or else. Gang Green’s best chances of accomplishing those lofty goals is having as many talented football players on their roster as humanly possible.
If the Jets would have signed Barrett, they wouldn’t have been able to land Reddick. This means if Barrett still would have retired, the Jets would have been left in a compromising position at this stage of the offseason.
With minimal viable replacement options available, the Dolphins are going to be scrambling ahead of camp. It seems like the Jets dodged a major bullet this offseason and missing out on Barrett ended up being a blessing in disguise.
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Stolen $7 Million Jets Free Agent Abruptly Retires