Outside linebacker Shaq Barrett is coming off a career year where he led not just the Bucs, but the entire NFL in sacks last season with 19.5. So after a season that put him on the map, how do you possibly follow that up? Would a 12 sack season be a disappointment?

“We might be cancelling the season if I’m only getting 12, “Barrett said in his press conference with the media on Monday. “I mean that’s a good start. Whatever helps the team out, if it’s 12, 12 would be a good number. I’m always striving to be better than I was last year, so whatever that number would be, I’m just excited that it’s plays that potentially could help the team get a couple wins.”

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

Barrett’s stellar season had him in the news often this offseason as he and the Bucs tried to work out a long-term deal, but no agreement came about. He commented on why coming to terms on a deal got stalled.

“It was pretty much the whole situation with COVID, it was too much up in the air,” Barrett said. “We weren’t able to get on terms or the right negotiations going because we really didn’t know anything. They did make it clear that they love me, they like me, they want me and just when the time is right we might be able to get something going in the right direction.”

COVID-19 may have affected his chances on a long term deal with the Bucs, and like every family dealing with this pandemic, it also became a challenge in his home life. Barrett and his wife Jordanna have three children together. They had to decide on what’s best for the safety of their family, and ultimately went with having a private teacher for homeschooling rather then run the risk of contracting the illness in school.

“It’s been challenging most definitely with three kids who love interacting with other friends and going outside and playing,” Barrett said. “We weren’t going to send them back to school because we did see the way that they would be in school and it wasn’t like a normal school environment. So we don’t even want to send them back to that. They still wouldn’t be able to talk to their friends, they’re still going to have to social distance and it wouldn’t even be a normal school experience so we thought that homeschooling would be the best thing to do for that.”

But when it came to deciding on opting out for this season, Barrett didn’t give it two thoughts.

“No,” Barrett said. “If there’s some football being played then I will play. I’m a competitor, I love football, that’s the way I feed my family, that’s the way that we have the life that we have now. There was no option for us to opt out as long as we were doing it the safest way possible and I feel as though we are doing it the safest way possible.”

Since there’s no preseason games in this training camp, that means the first opponent the Bucs will see this season is the New Orleans Saints in Week 1. And that’s exactly who Barrett wants it to be.

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

“I really enjoy that we get to play the Saints first,” Barrett said. “Because that’s the team last year that I thought really beat us convincingly, like we didn’t have any chance in those games and I didn’t like that at all. I mean, I still hate losing regardless but at least be in the game and be competitive and I feel like we weren’t competitive.

“So to be able to start off with that game, it’s a good chance to come out and start the season the right way so we’re looking forward to that for sure and I’m looking forward to that for sure. I’m excited for our year this year. We got a good defense, good offense, if we put it all together then we have a shot to make some noise this year.”