Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass-rusher Shaquil Barrett has signed his franchise tag tender for the 2020 NFL season, the team announced on Wednesday.
The deadline to work out a long-term deal was today at 3 p. m. , and the two sides could not come to an agreement. Barrett will make around $15.8 million in 2020. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 27-year-old Barrett has filed a grievance with NFLPA to be tagged as a defensive, not a linebacker. There’s a $2 million difference between a defensive end and linebacker.
In his first season in Tampa Bay, the seven-year veteran led the NFL with 19.5 sacks, breaking Warren Sapp’s single-season franchise record (16.5, 2000) on his way to earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors.
In addition to leading the league in sacks, Barrett posted career highs with 58 tackles, 37 quarterback hits, 19 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, and one interception.
2019 was Barrett’s biggest season by far. Before last season, his highest sack total was 5.5. Was last season a fluke for Barrett, or will he continue to put up double-digit sack numbers? If he has another big season, Tampa will have to pay him, but Tampa could get a discount if his play drops off in 2020. It should be interesting to see how this one plays out.
