The Miami Dolphins defensive line was a little thin before the news broke that one veteran is calling it a career.
Days away from the start of veterans reporting for camp, Shaq Barrett, 31, announced that he is done with football, at least as a player. After nine seasons in the NFL, Barrett has seen enough and decided to hang up his cleats. Who saw this coming?
Just in: Two-time Pro-Bowl linebacker Shaquil Barrett informed the Dolphins that he wants to spend more time with his family and he now will be retiring from the NFL. Barrett also was a two-time Super Bowl champion who played four seasons with Denver and five with Tampa Bay. pic.twitter.com/4beJWsNA6X
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 20, 2024
Miami Dolphins pass-rusher Shaquil Barrett has retired from the NFL
The timing couldn't be worse here. Miami will already be without Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, and now, an already depleted pass-rush is weaker. No one can fault Barrett for his decision. Players get to a point where family takes a higher priority and for Barrett, that time was now.
The Dolphins will now have to figure out what they will do with the position. They drafted two pass-rushers in Chop Robinson and Mohamed Kamara, but both lack experience and Miami was hoping to bring them along behind a veteran.
Barrett joined the Dolphins this offseason to help with the loss of Phillips and Chubb, as the two will not be back on the field to start the season. It was smart of Grier to draft Robinson in hindsight, as the Dolphins could have been in more trouble if Grier had gone another route.
Miami's roster is not deep to say the least and Grier is going to have to look for other options whether it is on the free agent market or through potential trades. With Barrett's abrupt retirement, the Dolphins are probably wishing they had re-signed Andrew Van Ginkel, who would have made this a non-issue. The good news is Miami should receive around $5 to $6 million in cap space, which will allow them to find more help before Week 1 gets here.