New York Jets’ fans will be having flashbacks right now. In 2022, the Miami Dolphins swooped in at the last minute and snatched the services of Tyreek Hill. Two years on, history is repeating itself with Shaq Barrett picking the Sunshine State team over the New York Metropolitan side.

No state has arguably benefitted more from the income tax disparity in pro sports than Florida. Teams in the Sunshine State can offer star athletes millions more in take-home pay just by playing for a franchise based there. This financial reality reared its head yet again this offseason, reshaping two AFC East rivals.

“They came out of left field” Barrett details how close the Jets were to signing him

The New York Jets hoped to pair Aaron Rodgers with a ferocious pass rush, but their tax situation in New Jersey dashed those plans. Talking to Zach Gelb on CBS Sports Radio, Barrett explained, “So my agent was talking to me about potentially going to New York. And it was New York all the way up until I ended up agreeing to terms with the Dolphins. They just came out of left field, for real. I love the prospect of going to New York, but [Miami] is just more established as a team, they’re more proven at this point…and no state tax, so that helps out a lot.” 

While the Jets upgraded at QB with Aaron Rodgers, their salary cap constraints due to taxes severely limit their ability to build around him, as evidenced by Barrett’s move and Tyreek Hill’s choosing the Dolphins over the Jets in 2022.

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The tax issue doesn’t just impact free agency moves – it also takes away a major bite out of Aaron Rodgers’ paycheck with the Jets, just like it did with Green Bay in 2022. Despite the star QB’s $50 million contract, he took home just $49.6 million due to the “jock tax” hitting his earnings in states like California. As Rodgers now heads to the Jets on a revised $112.5 million deal, he may have to brace for another season of his income being chipped away.

For Barrett and Miami, the situation suits both parties. The allure of playing for a rising Dolphins squad while pocketing millions more was simply too good to pass up. Not only this, but this decision is indeed a win-win for him – it also keeps his family in Tampa, where he played from 2019 through 2023. He said, “Just thinking of my family…that part factored in a lot as well. Not having to really uproot everything for one year. It would suck to have to do that. So I was happy. This is pretty much the best-case scenario.”

Tampa Bay let go of Barrett on March 13 and he signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins. Apart from talking about the reasons behind his decision to move to Miami, Barrett wants to prove a point to Tampa Bay.

$200M Aaron Rodgers Took Home Only $49,600,000 Last Year Due to Michael Jordan Tax Deductions

Shaq Barrett wants to make Tampa Bay regret releasing him

By poaching a proven pass rusher like Shaq Barrett, the Dolphins sent a clear message – they are going all-in to win the AFC East in 2024. For Barrett, it gives him a chance to make history by becoming the first player ever to win Super Bowls with three different franchises, after previously taking home rings with the Broncos and Buccaneers. But he has added motivation

This is also an opportunity to prove himself after Tampa Bay released him following four years with them and Barrett isn’t mincing his words.

In the introductory press conference, Barrett said, “I still got a lot to prove. Especially getting cut from another team. That adds another whole fuel to the fire right there. The Dolphins are going to be happy they signed me. Tampa is going to be mad they let me go.”

Barrett’s addition gives the Dolphins perhaps the most fearsome defensive line in the division, pairing him with other disruptors like Jaelan Phillips, Emmanuel Ogbah, and Christian Wilkins. His 59 sacks over 9 seasons, including 19.5 in 2019 alone, provide a devastating presence off the edge that quarterbacks like Josh Allen will have to account for.

With the Dolphins loading up, the motivated veteran could very well get his shot chance at redemption and make history.

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