Super Bowl Sunday full of “what ifs” this year for Broncos Country
Feb 7, 2021, 11:26 PM
As the Tampa Bay Buccaneers championship unfolded on the field at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, undoubtedly the whispers of “what ifs” could be heard floating through the thin air of Broncos Country.
No, not, “What if Tom Brady opted for orange and blue instead of pewter and red?” Though that’s not a totally insane notion.
But rather, “What if Denver didn’t let Shaq Barrett walk away?”
Part of a tenacious defensive effort that held the high-octane Kansas City Chiefs to just three field goals, Barrett terrorized Patrick Mahomes to the tune of four quarterback hits, one tackle for loss and a sack.
In fact, Barrett and the Bucs held Mahomes to 270 yards and a 52.3 rating while snagging three sacks and two interceptions.
Where would Tampa Bay be without Barrett’s efforts the past two seasons?
Could he have added that same production to the Broncos defense?
What if Bradley Chubb didn’t fall to Denver at No. 5?
That last question pretty much sums up why Barrett is no longer a Bronco.
In 2017, wherein he made nine starts filling in for the injured Shane Ray, Barrett grabbed four sacks, 37 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 12 quarterback hits.
That following offseason, Barrett signed a one-year exclusive rights free agent tender that kept him in Denver for the 2018 season just days before the Broncos selected his replacement, Chubb, with the No. 5 pick in the NFL Draft.
Barrett did not start again for Denver. Instead, he bet on himself that next offseason, signing a one-year deal with the Buccaneers in March 2019.
In an interview with 9News Broncos Insider Mike Klis in February 2020, Barrett explained his reasoning for leaving Denver.
“I knew I was going to be a backup no matter what I did,” Barrett said. “And I had an opportunity to start in Tampa, and it let me spread my wings a little bit.”
Klis spoke to Barrett during the NFL Honors red carpet ahead of Super Bowl LIV week in Miami, where the linebacker was set to receive the Deacon Jones Award for the most sacks in the NFL.
In 2019, Barrett earned his first Pro Bowl nod with 19.5 sacks, 58 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and 37 quarterback hits.
Barrett’s production warranted Tampa Bay to place the franchise tag on him this past offseason.
Now, after another highly productive season with the Bucs, the former undrafted free agent out of Colorado State University is a Super Bowl champion once again.
And Broncos Country is left wondering, “What if?”
