OLB Shaquil Barrett will reportedly be released by Buccaneers
Shaquil Barrett is expected to be released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, ESPN reported on Tuesday.
The Buccaneers outside linebacker would be owed $15.04 million in March thanks to an option bonus, and even though Tampa Bay finds itself in the top 10 of salary cap space according to overthecap.com, the team is trying to create additional room. This move will reportedly clear up $5 million for the Bucs.
The two-time Pro Bowler has played five of his nine seasons in the NFL with Tampa Bay and won a Super Bowl with the Bucs in the 2020 season. That playoff run, he enjoyed a three-sack game against the Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship game and recorded a sack in Super Bowl LV versus the Kansas City Chiefs. He also played a smaller role in the Denver Broncos' victory in Super Bowl 50 earlier in his career.
Last season, Barrett recorded 52 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Tampa Bay is expected to make Barrett a post-June 1 cut to split up the dead money between this season and 2025. He will reportedly count as a $9.27 million hit against the cap in 2024, before his number balloons to $17.47 million next year.
Barrett was signed by the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He was a rotation player in that system before reaching a deal with the Bucs in 2019. That year, he took the NFL by storm and set a franchise-record for sacks (19.5) in his debut season with Tampa Bay.
The 31-year-old also set career highs in tackles (58) and forced fumbles (six) that season.
