Seven-year NFL veteran edge defender Shaq Barrett is returning to Tampa Bay. As of this posting, the details surrounding the contract length and value are not available to the public. Barrett, a two-time Super Bowl champion, spent the 2020 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and has also played for the Denver Broncos.
Update: it’s a four-year, $72 million contract with $36 million guaranteed, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter
Buccaneers are giving Shaq Barrett a four-year deal worth up $72 million that includes $36 million fully guaranteed, his agent @DrewJRosenhaus told ESPN
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2021
Text from #Bucs LB Shaq Barrett just now: "I am going back to Tampa." #Donedecision.
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 15, 2021
Shaq Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Agree to Contract
Shaq Barrett is coming off of one of the finest seasons of his career. While he wasn’t quite able to recapture the magic of his 2019 campaign, the Colorado State product remained one of the better pass rushers in the league. Starting and appearing in 15 games, the edge defender recorded eight sacks, 16 quarterback hits, 57 tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss, and two forced fumbles throughout the regular season. Barrett found another gear in the postseason, especially against the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs. During those final two games, Barrett recorded four sacks, eight quarterback hits, and three tackles-for-loss. He was especially good in Super Bowl LV and was one of the most important pieces in Tampa Bay’s silencing of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense.
Barrett initially entered the league as an undrafted free agent following the 2014 NFL Draft. Signing with the Denver Broncos, Barrett couldn’t quite make the Week 1 roster as a rookie. However, the coaching staff saw something they liked in Barrett and signed him to the practice squad. The rookie spent the majority of his season as a practice-only player, although he did earn a one-week promotion to the active roster in October.
Just like the year before, Barrett spent the 2015 offseason battling for a spot on Denver’s Week 1 roster. However, unlike in 2014, Barrett managed the job, thanks in large part to a fantastic preseason. Barrett spent the next four years primarily serving as a rotational pass rusher, accumulating 14 sacks, 35 quarterback hits, 25 tackles-for-loss, and seven forced fumbles in 61 games.
Following the 2018 season, Barrett signed a big-money deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be their starting edge defender. The former undrafted free agent easily lived up to the contract, recording a league-leading 19.5 sacks during his first season in Tampa.
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