The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in urgent need of effective edge rushers—veterans or rookies alike. No other position on the roster is more in need of reinforcement.
That’s why a surprising development could work in their favor for the 2025 season. According to JoeBucsFan.com, former NFL All-Pro Shaquil Barrett is set to make a return after a discussion with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
“(Barrett) is definitely going to play this year,” Rosenhaus said.
Shaquil Barrett was released by the Buccaneers in March 2024 as part of a salary cap decision. He later signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Miami Dolphins but chose to retire just days before training camp began.
Barrett returned from retirement in December. After being released by the Dolphins, he rejoined the Buccaneers in time for the regular season finale and the NFC Wild Card loss to the Washington Commanders.
During the NFL Scouting Combine, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht emphasized the organization’s high regard for Barrett.
“We’ll never close the door on Shaq,” Licht told Pro Football Talk. “We’ll see where that goes. We never close the door on Shaq.”
Given the circumstances, Barrett could potentially return on a team-friendly deal—specifically, the veteran minimum, which would amount to a one-year, $1.255 million contract for the 2025 season.
It wasn’t long ago that Barrett ranked among the NFL’s premier edge rushers.
He led the league with 19.5 sacks in 2019 while with the Buccaneers, a performance that earned him a four-year, $68 million contract in March 2021. Over the course of his 11-year career, Barrett has accumulated $78.2 million in earnings.
At Colorado State, Barrett was named the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 after recording 12 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss.
He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent, spending 2014 on the Denver Broncos’ practice squad and active roster without appearing in a game. In 2015, he made the opening day roster, started six games, and contributed to a Super Bowl victory over the Carolina Panthers.
In 2019, Barrett signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Buccaneers and delivered one of the most dominant seasons by a pass rusher in league history, leading the NFL with 19.5 sacks and earning All-Pro honors.
He played under the franchise tag in 2020, helping Tampa Bay secure another Super Bowl title before landing his major contract ahead of the 2021 season.
Barrett, who turns 33 in November, owns 59 career sacks and 22 forced fumbles. He also holds Buccaneers franchise records for single-season sacks, single-game sacks (4), and single-game forced fumbles (2).
Buccaneers Could Draft Edge Rusher in First Round
Pro Football Talk’s Connor Rogers projects the Buccaneers will select Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku with the 19th overall pick in the first round, according to PFT’s latest mock draft.
In 2024, Ezeiruaku ranked second nationally with 16.5 sacks and third with 20 tackles for loss.
“Todd Bowles desperately needs another pure pass rusher in this defense and there weren’t many more productive than Ezeiruaku this year,” Rogers wrote.
