The New York Jets are lucky they didn’t sign Shaquil Barrett
After he signed with the Miami Dolphins earlier this year, edge rusher Shaquil Barrett revealed he had spurned the New York Jets for Miami. This caused the Jets to meet with Jadeveon Clowney and ultimately trade for Haason Reddick.
As it turns out, the Jets dodged a bullet. Barrett announced his retirement after nine NFL seasons.
BREAKING: Shaq Barrett has informed the #Dolphins that he’s retiring, per @AdamSchefter.
The 2x Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion signed a 1-year deal with the #Dolphins this offseason. pic.twitter.com/fXMtCFWJN0
— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) July 20, 2024
Miami signed Barrett after losing Andrew Van Ginkel in free agency. They likely wanted to allow Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb to ease back into the lineup after season-ending injuries in 2023. They no longer have that insurance.
Even at the age of 31, Barrett was still a productive player. He posted 49 pressures on 356 pass rush snaps in 2023, a 13.8% pressure rate well above the 12.1% positional average. He would have replaced Van Ginkel’s 321 pass rush snaps, although Van Ginkel had a better pressure rate (53 pressures, 16.5%).
The Jets would have been in a strange position if they had signed Barrett only for him to retire. Would they have traded John Franklin-Myers had they signed Barrett rather than trading for Reddick? If not, Franklin-Myers would simply be their other starting edge defender next to Jermaine Johnson, but they’d lose the extra depth of Barrett. If they still traded Franklin-Myers, they’d be stuck with Johnson and Will McDonald as their starting edge rushers with no quality depth behind them.
As it is, after trading Franklin-Myers, the Jets’ edge depth is not so robust. Johnson and Reddick are the starters with McDonald as the situational pass rusher. If any of those players get injured, Micheal Clemons could see starter-level snaps, especially in the Jets’ rotation-heavy defense.
Now, Barrett’s retirement is a Miami problem — not as costly as Corey Davis’ late retirement in 2023, but still a blow to the Dolphins’ defensive plans.
