Stolen $7 Million Jets Free Agent Abruptly Retires

Stolen $7 Million Jets Free Agent Abruptly Retires

During free agency this offseason, veteran pass

rusher Shaq Barrett was almost signed by the

New York Jets. He will no longer be playing for

any team in 2024 or after. Barrett announced on

Twitter X before to Twitter that he was leaving

the NFL to “spend more time with his family.”

This news was first reported by ESPN’s Adam

Schefter. This offseason, the former Colorado

State star agreed to a $7 million, one-year

contract with the Miami Dolphins.

Miami Sustains Another Serious Defense Loss

This summer, the green and white tested out a

number of pass-rushing alternatives. Following

Barrett, Jadeveon Clowney, a free agent who

signed with the Carolina Panthers, was hot and

heavy in New York. Barrett said earlier in the

summer to Zach Gelb of Xfinity Sports Network

radio host that he was planning to sign with the

Jets “all the way” until the Dolphins made a last-

minute move. Not only did he not sign, but he

also said another factor in his decision-making

process was Miami being “more established” and

“more proven” than the Jets. That argument

didn’t seem to hold water then and it certainly

hasn’t aged any better since. Miami has the

longest active playoff win drought in the NFL.

Since 2000, the Dolphins have failed to win a

postseason game. For background, the last time

Miami won a single postseason game was while

Bill Clinton was still president (h/t Jake Asman).

The Jets have won six postseason games in the

previous twenty-four years, including two trips

to the AFC Championship game.

The unexpected Barrett news is a severe setback

for the fish. Barrett, a 31-year-old explosive pass

rusher, has accumulated 125 quarterback hits, 59

sacks, and 73 tackles for loss. This offseason,

Miami lost a number of significant players to

injuries on the defensive end, including Christian

Wilkins, Raekwon Davis, Andrew Van Ginkel,

Jerome Baker, Xavien Howard, and Brandon

Jones. Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips, two of

the Dolphins’ best defensive players, are both

recuperating from major injuries and will miss

significant portions of the upcoming 2024

campaign.

Jets Nearly Landed Barrett Which Would Have Changed the Offseason

After missing out on Barrett, New York decided

to make a trade in order to acquire Philadelphia

Eagles player Haason Reddick. The Jets were

unaware that they would acquire a superior

player than Barrett, but that is precisely what

transpired. Barrett hadn’t had a double-digit sack

season since 2021. While Reddick on the other

hand has had four straight double-digit sack

seasons heading into 2024.

The Jets are trying to win a Super Bowl and the

pressure is on everyone to win or else. Gang

Green’s best chances of accomplishing those lofty

goals is having as many talented football players

on their roster as humanly possible.

Reddick would not have been available to the

Jets if Barrett had signed. This implies that the

Jets would have been in a precarious situation at

this point in the offseason if Barrett had

continued to retire. The Dolphins will have to

make some last-minute decisions before camp

because there aren’t many good replacement

choices available. The Jets appear to have

escaped a serious injury this offseason, and

losing out on Barrett turned out to be a lucky

break.

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