One of the Miami Dolphins’ marquee free agency signings won’t be reporting for training camp.
Two-time Super Bowl champion Shaquil Barrett is hanging up his cleats, announcing on Instagram on Saturday that he would be stepping away from football to spend more time with his family.
“It’s time for me to hang it up,” Barrett said in the 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 them realize their dreams and catch ’em.
“I know to some it’ll be a surprise, but I’ve been thinking about this for a while and the decision has never been more clear than it is now.”
Barrett, a two-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker, signed a one-year, $9 million contract with the Miami Dolphins in the off-season after spending the last five seasons across the state with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He split time between the Denver Broncos and Buccaneers over the course of his nine-year NFL career, winning a Super Bowl with both teams — in 2016 with the Broncos and 2021 with the Bucs.
The Baltimore, Md., native tallied 59 sacks and 22 forced fumbles over 131 games. He led the league in sacks with 19.5 in 2019, was named to the second-team All-Pro and came fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.