Shaquil Barrett retires months after signing with Dolphins: Potential options for Miami to fill defensive hole

Four months after signing with the Miami Dolphins, Pro Bowl pass rusher Shaquil Barrett has called it a career, announcing via social media Saturday that he’s retiring from the NFL at 31 after nine seasons.

“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,” Barrett wrote on Instagram. “I’m ready to shift my full focus to my wife and kids … [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 had been slated for a potentially prominent role on the Dolphins’ defense, with top pass rushers Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips both recovering from serious injuries and opening training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. Barrett initially joined Miami in March, just days after he was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a cost-cutting move.

Undrafted out of Colorado State in 2014, Barrett retires after an accomplished underdog career, which began with the Denver Broncos. His 5.5 sacks and four forced fumbles helped propel Denver’s defense to a Super Bowl title in just his second season, and he later went on to headline the Buccaneers’ pass rush, leading the NFL with 19.5 sacks and a career-high six forced fumbles in a 2019 breakout. Barrett won a second Lombardi Trophy with Tampa Bay the following year, and retires with 59 career sacks.

Where will Miami turn, with Barrett out of the picture and edge rusher still a primary need? Here are three potential targets:

This would require clearing some relatively large financial hurdles, considering Judon is after a pay raise and the Dolphins aren’t overflowing with cap space. The rival Patriots would surely also hesitate to deal the Pro Bowler in the division. Still, intra-divisional trades aren’t impossible, and New England might rather take a draft pick for the 31-year-old while in rebuild mode. Two years removed from a 15.5-sack season, Judon would instantly lend credibility to a contending defense.

The ultimate pass-rushing mercenary, Ngakoue has suited up for six teams in the last four years. He may have run out of gas in 2023, managing a career-low four sacks in 13 games, but he’s got tons of experience (115 starts) and is just a few years removed from a double-digit sack campaign. After starting his NFL career in Florida, he might be willing to return, even on an affordable free-agent deal.

If the Dolphins want to go down another Barrett-esque route, Lawson fits the bill as a former standout starter recently beset by the injury bug. Limited to six games in 2023 but once heralded as an up-and-coming star along the Cincinnati Bengals’ front, he’s got experience as a stand-up rusher and could benefit from a rotation with Miami’s other reserves. He’d likely also come cheap on a one-year prove-it deal.