Former Broncos SB50 & NFL Sack Champion Announces NFL Retirement

Shaquil Barrett won two Super Bowls and an NFL sack championship.

Sep 17, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shaquil Barrett (7) sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields (1) during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium. / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Former Denver Broncos rush linebacker Shaquil Barrett has announced his retirement. The two-time Super Bowl champion revealed his decision on Instagram.

"It's time for me to hang it up. 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. Anyone who caught their dreams before know the work, time, and consistency required to reach them. I'm ready to start building them skills up in my kids which will take 100% commitment. 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 wrote.

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Barrett, 31, entered the NFL as a college free agent with the Broncos in 2014. The Colorado State product didn't make the 53-man roster out of training camp, but he was signed to the practice squad, and was eventually activated in October.

Barrett was blessed to learn behind the likes of Hall-of-Famer DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller, who will also have a bust in Canton in the near future. In Denver's Super Bowl 50 season, Barrett was the third rush linebacker onto the field, teaming up with then-rookie Shane Ray to form arguably the best edge-rushing unit in the NFL.

For whatever reason, the Broncos didn't seem to view Barrett as more than a depth player, and let him walk following the 2018 season. He would sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, joining Tom Brady as part of the team's free-agent haul.

In his first opportunity to be a 16-game starter, Barrett hit it out of the park, totaling 19.5 sacks in 2019 and finishing as the NFL's sack champion. The Bucs would go on to win the Super Bowl, and he'd garner Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors.

Barrett followed that whirlwind season up with an eight and then 10-sack performance, earning Pro Bowl honors again in 2021. He struggled with injuries in 2022, appearing in just eight games, but returned to full health last season. Alas, the sack production dwindled to 4.5, despite 16 starts.

For a guy who never heard his name called on draft day, Barrett absolutely out-kicked his coverage, achieving greatness on an individual level and winning it all twice on a collective. Hats off to the former CSU Ram and Bronco, who exits the pro ranks with 59 career sacks in 10 NFL seasons (when you count his rookie campaign).

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