“Shaq has made a profound and immediate impact on our defense from the day he stepped into the building two years ago,” said Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht. “From leading the league in sacks in 2019 to leaving his mark during our postseason run to Super Bowl LV, Shaq’s contributions have been vital to our success as a team, and we look forward to continuing that success in the years ahead.”
The 28-year-old Barrett has played in and started 31-of-32 regular season games for Tampa Bay over the last two seasons, accumulating 115 tackles (30 for loss), 53 quarterback hits, 27.5 sacks, eight forced fumbles, five passes defensed and one interception. He earned both Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors in his first season with the Buccaneers in 2019.
Barrett played a key role in the Buccaneers pursuit of Super Bowl LV, recording eight quarterback hits and 4.0 sacks over the course of the team’s four-game title run to cap off the 2020 season.
The seven-year veteran was a focal point of the 2020 Buccaneers defense, which led the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game (80.6) and finished sixth in total yards allowed per game (327.1). Between the regular season and postseason combined, Tampa Bay also led the NFL in takeaways (34), tackles for loss (107) and quarterback hits (142), while finishing tied with the Los Angeles Rams for the most sacks (58.0).
Bringing back Barrett is huge, which will only help Tampa’s chances of winning another Super Bowl. Tom Brady was huge in the playoffs, but Tampa Bay does not win a title without Barrett and that defense.
