Shaq Barrett was the best player to ever wear No. 48 for the Denver Broncos.
After playing college football at CSU, Barrett signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He spent his rookie season on Denver’s practice squad before emerging as a rotational pass rusher in his second season.
Barrett played in all 16 games in 2015 and started six contests as an injury fill-in. He recorded 5.5 sacks that year and helped the Broncos reach Super Bowl 50. Barrett recorded one tackle in Denver’s 24-10 win over the Panthers in the Super Bowl that season.
Barrett went on to spend three more years with the Broncos, recording 14 sacks and seven forced fumbles while playing primarily as a rotational pass rusher. He left the team in free agency in 2019 and recorded 19.5 sacks in his first year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Barrett then won a second Super Bowl in 2020, that time with the Bucs.
Happy 3⃣0⃣th Birthday, no. 4⃣8⃣ @ShaquilBarrett! The Denver Broncos signed Barrett as an UDFA in 2014 out of @CSUFootball. He was part of an all-time best defense and Super Bowl 50 winning team in 2015. Here are four of Shaq's best sacks as a Bronco, all resulting in turnovers! pic.twitter.com/EuK9koSuw5
— Mile High Moments (@MileHighMoments) November 17, 2022
George Coghill also deserves a shout-out as an honorable mention. He played safety for the Broncos from 1997-2001 and while he was on the practice squad for Super Bowl XXXII, Coghill did play in Super Bowl XXXIII. The safety spent four seasons in Denver, playing in 54 games with four starts. Coghill totaled 93 tackles and three interceptions with the Broncos.
Barrett has 59 career sacks on his resume and he now plays for the Miami Dolphins. Even as a rotational player, he had a key role in the team’s run to Super Bowl 50 in 2015, and he was the best to ever wear No. 48.
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