This story was originally published by Dead Spin
Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Shaquil Barrett retired Saturday, four months after the 31-year-old signed with the Miami Dolphins as a free agent.
“It’s been a great ride and I appreciate everything that came with it over the years,” Barrett wrote in an Instagram post. “I’m ready to shift my full focus to my wife and kids and helping them realize (their) dreams.”
Barrett also wrote that he had considered retirement “for a while” and added that the decision “has never been more clear than it is now.”
On April 30, 2023, Barrett’s 2-year-old daughter drowned in the family pool at his home in Tampa, Fla.
Despite being undrafted out of Colorado State in 2014, Barrett made two Pro Bowls and played in 131 games (85 starts) across nine NFL seasons with the Denver Broncos (2014-18) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019-23).
He tallied 400 tackles (73 for loss), 59 sacks, 22 forced fumbles and three interceptions over his career.
Barrett’s best season came with the Buccaneers in 2019, when he led the NFL with 19.5 sacks and was named to his first Pro Bowl. His 10-sack season in 2021 earned him another Pro Bowl nod.
Barrett won two Super Bowls, one with the Broncos as a rookie in 2015 and the other with Tampa Bay in 2020.
He started 16 games for the Buccaneers in 2023, notching 52 tackles, 4 1/2 sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception.
Barrett signed a one-year, $9 million deal with the Dolphins in March.
–Field Level Media
