When the Bucs open training camp on Wednesday morning, veteran outside linebacker Shaq Barrett will be good to go for the first time since tearing his Achilles in Week 8 last season.

Barrett has passed his physical and will not begin camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported Monday night.

Barrett was present at Bucs mini camp back in June, but was still going through rehab on the side field. When asked throughout the offseason, head coach Todd Bowles hasn’t said much about Barrett’s progress and when they expected him to be back and ready to go.

Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

However, Barrett appeared on the Loose Cannons podcast earlier this offseason and gave more insight into his progress and timetable for a return to the field.

“Mentally, it had me in a bad spot for a day or two,” Barrett said in April. “Physically, now I’m good. I’m doing the rehab. I’m getting better. I’ve been jogging on the treadmill … doing everything pretty much according to plan and on schedule. It might be a little slower right now because we’ve got a lot of time.

“But I’m ready to go – I’m going to be ready to go when it’s time to go. I’m pretty sure ‘time to go’ will be the first game. I don’t anticipate missing any games. I don’t anticipate being on any play counts. I should be ready to go for the first game for sure.”

Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

That felt like an ambitious timetable for Barrett back then, given he tore his Achilles on Oct. 27 of last year. But now that he’s passed his physical and will avoid the PUP list to start training camp, it does seem like a realistic expectation.

As Stroud reported, Barrett may be held out for some of the contact periods early in camp as he continues to work his way back into football.

But with just under seven weeks until the Bucs kick off their regular season against the Vikings in Minnesota, perhaps Barrett really will be all good to go — and without a snap count, as he said three months ago.

Bucs Need Shaq Barrett To Return To Form In 2023

Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Which version of Shaq Barrett the Bucs will get in 2023 remains to be seen. He struggled out of the gate last year, totaling just three sacks before he went down with his injury. Now, after an Achilles injury that will threaten to slow down his get-off, he is heading for his 31st birthday in November.

Despite the injury and his age, Barrett is heading into the season as the Bucs’ top pass rusher. Tampa Bay needs him to still be its No. 1, with questions about Joe Tryon-Shoyinka’s development, the seemingly defined ceiling of Anthony Nelson and the tempered expectations for rookies Yaya Diaby and Jose Ramirez.

Barrett will need to lead the Bucs’ pass rush if the defense is going to be what Bowles needs it to be for the team as a whole.

There’s also financial incentive for Barrett to bounce back in a big way. The Bucs didn’t restructure the veteran’s deal this offseason to create needed cap space. That made sure Barrett’s dead cap hit for 2024 would not increase. So, at the very least, they gave themselves a potential out next offseason.

Bucs OLB Shaquil Barrett – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Outside of the money, Barrett will surely want to prove he’s still the player he was from 2019-2021 and help his team win football games.

He’ll also want to honor his late daughter after her tragic passing this offseason while playing for his new daughter — who is due to arrive next February — and the rest of his family.

There’s no doubt that 2023 is a big year for Shaq Barrett, and it’s off to a good start with training camp just a couple of days away.