With Shaq Barrett waiting on the wings after asking for immediate reinstatement through his agents in the NFL. It seems his former club, where he played before choosing to retire mid-season, is already making space for his return. Holding his contractual rights from the $9M free-agent deal he signed back in March, the Dolphins are probably leading the race to bring him back to the gridiron.

Well, in the latest round of moves happening in Miami, the Phins have decided to waive their veteran safety Marcus Maye. After playing 11 games for them this season, Maye recorded 30 tackles with one tackle for loss and one pass deflection. However, his time in Miami isn’t completely over. As Tom Pelissero says, the Dolphins would like to re-sign him to the practice squad if he clears the waivers.

Although it looks unlikely that the 31-year-old would like to sit in the practice squad for the remainder of this season. It isn’t the first time Maye has faced roster cuts in the NFL. His journey started with the Jets back in 2017 when he was selected 39th overall as their second-round pick. He went on to sign a four-year $6.5M contract that had $3.6M as guaranteed.

After running down his rookie contract, the Jets decided to exercise their franchise tag on Maye in 2021. This ended up costing them $10.5M, while Maye landed on the injury reserves within just six games. Battling through an ACL tear, Maye’s tenure as part of the Jets Nation ended within 5 years. Now, as a free agent, Maye joined the Saints for a three-year $28.5M deal. Well, his time in New Orleans was marred with suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

On the day when Maye was waived from the Phins roster, they decided to activate safety Patrick McMorris off the injury reserves. While it could seem like just another tactical move taking place in Miami, Shaq Barrett could be edging closer to his probable return.

Shaq Barrett’s NFL return in Miami remains on track

When Shaq Barrett announced his retirement on Instagram, everyone was taken by surprise, “I’m ready to shift my full focus to my wife and kids and helping them realize their dreams.” But after five months into the season, Barrett is set for a massive U-turn on his decision. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, also expressed his thoughts on Barrett’s possible return to Miami: “It all depends on the Dolphins and what they want to do…waiting for them to decide.”

Seeing them already make roster changes is a possible indication of Barrett re-joining sooner or later. As for the Dolphins, they need the two-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion to show up in Miami. Having 59 regular season sacks to his name to date, Barrett could help the Dolphins continue their unbeaten streak. Going for a late playoff run, the Dolphins are on a winning streak of 3.

With the Packers clash coming up on the eve of Thanksgiving, it remains to be seen whether the Dolphins will bring their best to the game. If not, then it could make it more difficult for them to have any postseason ambitions left in their belly.