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The Miami Dolphins plan to waive former Pro Bowl pass rusher Shaq Barrett on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
He will be eligible to play for another team this season only if he clears waivers on Friday, Schefter added.
Barrett last played in the 2023 season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He signed with the Dolphins as a free agent in March, then retired in July before applying for reinstatement in November.
Barrett’s agent Drew Rosenhaus told Schefter that the edge rusher “is in great shape and would be ready to play immediately” for another team.
Rosenhaus also thanked the Dolphins for giving Barrett an “opportunity to continue his career in the NFL,” according to Schefter.
The Dolphins chose not to activate Barrett from the reserve/retired list following his request to return, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported in November.
Rapoport wrote as of Nov. 28 that the Dolphins did “not intend to release him and allow him to play for another team in the midst of a playoff push.”
The Dolphins still have a narrow path to the playoffs, but need a Week 17 win over the Cleveland Browns to stay in the picture. Even a victory won’t be enough if both the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos also win this weekend (h/t NFL Playoff Scenarios.)
Should Barrett clear waivers and sign with another team in free agency, he could return for Week 18 and the postseason.
One potential playoff team that might be interested in Barrett could be the Buccaneers, who originally parted ways with Barrett as part of a cost-cutting move. The Bucs have yet to secure a postseason berth but could boost their playoff odds with a Week 17 win over the Carolina Panthers, and Barrett previously said he would only be willing to come out of retirement to rejoin his former team.
Barrett, who won two Super Bowls with the Buccaneers and Denver Broncos, led the NFL with 19.5 sacks in 2019.
Following the tragic death of his two-year-old daughter in April 2023, Barrett returned for a final campaign with the Buccaneers. He finished the 2023 season with 4.5 sacks and 52 combined tackles.
He now looks to enter free agency with 59.0 career sacks and 400 combined tackles in 131 career regular-season appearances.
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