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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