It’s been a while since we saw outside linebacker Shaq Barrett around the Bucs’ facility. With Tampa Bay’s season over, many players were cleaning out their locker before their exit meetings with coach Todd Bowles.

This gave us some time to catch up with Barrett, who’s season ended in Week 8 on Thursday night football when he tore his achilles. Barrett gave us update of how his rehab has been going over the last couple of months.

“[The] achilles is healing pretty well,” Barrett said. “Almost back to my normal walking stride. Physically I’m feeling as good as I can be feeling right now.”

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

Barrett Gives His View On The Playoff Loss

While he seemed upbeat for next season with a new outlook, you could see the anguish on Barrett’s face with how the Bucs exited the postseason. 

“Last night was tough,” Barrett said. “It was a hard season, especially not being able to help. It just hurt the way we went out.

Then he gave his assessment on both yesterday’s game and a perspective of the whole year.

“I saw some missed tackles,” Barrett said. “We let them outside the edge a couple times, lost contain a couple times, but we just didn’t make the plays when we needed to make the plays and when we were in position to make them. That’s a good way to let drives continue to build.

“I don’t know what it was, but it’s just been that way all year. We can’t click when we need to click, then when we are clicking it doesn’t last for a whole game. It might be for a quarter or two then we break down and we can’t get it back together, or we do get it back together and the offense doesn’t compliment it, or the offense gets it together and the defense doesn’t come.

Bucs OLB Shaq Barrett and S Mike Edwards – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“It was just hard this year for us to play a complete game. That’s why it was what it was this year. Nobody likes this feeling, and as a fan just watching, I don’t know why it feels so much harder, I feel so much more emotional watching than when I’m actually on the field, because on the field, Im’ thinking of making the next play trying to change, but there’s nothing I can do on the sideline.

“It’s so much harder watching. But nobody likes this feeling from the top on down, so we’re going to fix it and do whatever it takes so that we can easily get to the playoffs next year and make some noise in the playoffs instead of barely making it in and playing in the next to last game to knowing  that we’re in the playoffs.”

When Will Barrett Return?

The next question for Barrett is when can he get back to playing? Achilles injuries are a serious one to deal with. On the bright side, the Bucs’ best pass rusher expects the latest time for him to return would be right at the beginning of the season.

“It’s a nice little timetable,” Barrett said. “They said the latest possible be would be right for the regular season. I’m just taking my time a day at a time, but it’s a long process, long road ahead, but I’ll do everything I can to be ready for the first game.”