Shaq Barrett

Shaq Barrett is an American former professional football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He won two Super Bowl championships and earned Second-team All-Pro honors after leading the league in sacks during a career-defining stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Player Profile, High School, and College Career

Shaquil Akeem Barrett was born on November 17, 1992, in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The Linebacker stands 188 cm tall, and his weight was last listed at 113 kg.

He attended Boys Town High School in Nebraska, where he was named the All-State defensive captain. Playing his initial college football season for the Nebraska–Omaha Mavericks in 2010 before the university discontinued its football program, he transferred to the Colorado State Rams.

From 2011 to 2013, Barrett blossomed into an absolute terror on the edge, racking up 246 tackles and 18 sacks to claim the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year award in 2013 before entering the professional ranks.

Professional Career

Barrett went undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft but signed as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos.

He spent his first five professional seasons providing crucial depth and rotational pass-rushing value in Denver, appearing in 61 games. He played a vital defensive role on the historic 2015 Broncos squad that went on to win Super Bowl 50.

Seeking an opportunity to start, Barrett signed a one-year contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019. His debut season in Tampa Bay was legendary. He led the entire NFL with a franchise-record 19.5 sacks to win the Deacon Jones Award and earn Second-team All-Pro recognition.

Barrett cemented his legacy as a big-game performer during the 2020 postseason, recording three sacks in the NFC Championship Game against Green Bay and adding another in a dominant victory over Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.

After earning his second career Pro Bowl nod with a 10-sack campaign in 2021, a severe Achilles tendon tear limited his subsequent production.

In March 2024, Barrett signed with the Miami Dolphins but surprisingly announced his retirement in July before training camp began.

He reversed course late in the year, applying for reinstatement and returning to the Buccaneers in December 2024 to provide emotional leadership and veteran edge-rushing depth for the regular-season finale and postseason. He remained a free agent through the 2025 offseason, and after drawing interest and a late-season tryout with the Indianapolis Colts in October 2025.

Barrett officially confirmed he was done for good with the NFL.

Career Highlights:

• 2015, 2020 – 2× Super Bowl champion (50, LV)
• 2019 – Second-team All-Pro
• 2019, 2021 – 2× Pro Bowl
• 2019 – Deacon Jones Award (NFL Sacks Leader)
• 2013 – Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year