Outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday, one day after practice squad kicker Jose Borregales also got that designation. It's a bit of déjà vu for Barrett, who had a short stint on the COVID list during the first week of January last season, causing him to miss the Buccaneers' regular-season finale against Atlanta.
This time around, his addition to the list probably won't have any affect on the team's weekend plans. Head Coach Bruce Arians had already indicated that Barrett would miss the last two games of the regular season due to the knee injury he suffered against Carolina in Week 16 but is hoping he'll be back in action for the first week of the playoffs.
Players on any reserve list, including the one for positive COVID tests, do not count against the 53-man roster or the practice squad limit. That means the Buccaneers currently have two open spots on the active roster after releasing Antonio Brown on Thursday.
Barrett is the Buccaneers' 2021 leader in both sacks (10.0) and quarterback hits (22) and he has 37.5 sacks in 46 games since signing with Tampa Bay during the 2019 offseason. He has also contributed 50 tackles, nine tackles for loss, one interception, four passes defensed, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries this season.
