Linebacker Shaquil Barrett announced his retirement on social media Saturday, four months after joining the Miami Dolphins in free agency but just days before the team’s training camp.
“It’s time for me to hang it up,” Barrett said in an Instagram post. “It’s been a great ride and I appreciate everything that came with it over the years. I’m ready to shift my full focus to my wife and kids and helping with realize their dreams and catch em.”
He acknowledged in the post the retirement may seem like a surprise to some, but said he’s “been thinking about this for a while and the decision has never been more clear then it is now.”
Barrett’s abrupt announcement concludes a 10-year career that spanned stints with the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He won Super Bowl titles with each franchise.
The 31-year-old entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Colorado State, signing with the Broncos in 2014 but not appearing in any games his rookie season. He made the Broncos roster in 2015 after tallying the most preseason sacks in the league, and played a key rotational role in the team’s Super Bowl run, starting six games.
Barrett remained a rotational linebacker in Denver until he left for Tampa Bay in 2019. There, he blossomed in a historic…
