Buccaneers' Shaquil Barrett 'wasn’t ready for life without' Tom Brady

Shortly after quarterback Tom Brady surprised many within the football community by announcing his retirement ahead of this year's Super Bowl, Tampa Bay Buccaneers star pass-rusher Shaquil Barrett confidently declared he and his teammates "most definitely are still going to be contenders" even without the seven-time champion atop the depth chart. 

It turns out, of course, that Barrett had little to worry about, as Brady unretired and returned to Tampa Bay's active roster before the winter months concluded. Barrett was part of the Denver Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50 with Peyton Manning leading the way, and the 29-year-old spoke with reporters Wednesday about what it meant for all involved to see Brady back at work this spring. 

"I knew it was a possibility — or I thought it was a possibility, I didn’t know," Barrett said of Brady playing at least one more season, per Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. "So when I got [the news] I was just excited. I know we’ve got good quarterbacks on the team. But I’ve been in situations [with the Broncos] where we had a main guy and then when he’s gone, we’re trying to fill the void. And we still had a winning season, a 9-7 season. But I feel like, I just wasn’t ready for life without Tom yet."

Life without Tom taking snaps on fall Sundays is eventually coming for Barrett and everyone associated with the league. The G.O.A.T. turns 45 years old in August and could potentially spend one campaign elsewhere before he rides off into the sunset of retirement, this time for good. 

"Hopefully we can send him out on the highest note possible," Barrett added about what could be Brady's final season with the Buccaneers or in general. "We’ve just got to start now, put the work in now. But if it is his last ride, I’m going to make sure I do everything I can to send him out on top of the mountain."