Dolphins Won’t Activate OLB Shaq Barrett From Reserve/Retire List

According to Ian Rapoport, the Dolphins have elected against activating OLB Shaq Barrett from the reserve/retired list.

Rapoport also reports Miami does not intend to release Barrett. 

This comes after Barrett applied for reinstatement from retirement earlier this week. He walked away from the game in July to spend more time with his family after signing a one-year deal with the Dolphins this offseason. Barrett’s family lost their young daughter last year in a tragic drowning accident. 

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 the 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 this offseason. 

He caught on with the Dolphins on a one-year deal worth up to $9 million but retired in July. 

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.