Dolphins EDGE Shaquil Barrett Was Close To Signing With Jets

“My agent was talking to me about potentially going to New York, and it was New York all the way up until . . . the day I ended up agreeing to terms with the Dolphins,” Barrett said on CBS Sports Radio. “And they just came out of left field. I loved the prospect of going to New York, but Dolphins, like they’re just more established as a team. They’re more proven at this point. And they’ve got some good guys in the room, like my pash-rush room, so I was looking forward to partnering up with them guys. And no state tax, that helps out a lot.”

He signed a one-year deal with Miami worth up to $9 million and is now able to continue living in Tampa, Florida where he has resided since signing with the Buccaneers back in 2019.

Barrett, 31, signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado State in 2014. He was waived coming out of the preseason and re-signed to Denver’s practice squad. 

After bouncing back and forth between the practice squad and active roster, Barrett landed on the active roster at the end of his rookie year. He played out the remainder of his rookie contract.

Barrett signed with the Buccaneers as an unrestricted free agent in 2019 to a one-year, $4 million deal and was franchised in 2020. He re-signed to a four-year, $68 million extension in 2021, but was released last month. 

In 2023, Barrett appeared in 16 games for the Buccaneers and recorded 52 tackles, three tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception returned for a touchdown and two pass deflections.

We had him included in our Top 100 Available 2024 NFL Free Agents list.