01 May 2023 , 14:23
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Tom Brady has led an outpouring of condolences towards former teammate Shaq Barrett following the death of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker’s two-year-old daughter, Arrayah.
Brady played with Barrett on the Florida-based franchise for the last two seasons before retiring earlier this year. The Buccaneers shared the news with a statement on Sunday evening, reacting to reports that Barrett's daughter drowned in a swimming pool at the family’s home that morning.
In response, Brady posted a photograph of the Barrett family, featuring Shaq and his wife Jordanna sitting on a sofa alongside their four children Shaquil Jr., Braylon, Aaliyah and Arrayah. The message captioning the image reads: “The Bradys love you,” accompanied by a love heart emoji and three praying emojis.
According to the Tampa Police Department, their officers responded to a call about a child falling into a pool at around 9:30am. Arrayah was then taken to a hospital in the Beach Park area of the city before being pronounced dead after lifesaving measures were ultimately unable to revive her.
An investigation by police is ongoing. The department are not treating the incident as suspicious, a statement confirmed, but rather as a tragic accident.
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The Bucs will support the family through their grief, says a statement addressing the incident. “Today’s tragic news is heartbreaking for all members of the Buccaneers family. Our thoughts and prayers are with Shaq, Jordanna and the entire Barrett family during this unimaginably difficult time.
“While no words can provide true comfort at a time such as this, we offer our support and love as they begin to process this very profound loss of their beloved Arrayah.”
Arrayah Barrett tragically drowned in their family swimming pool (INSTAGRAM@https://www.instagram.com/jordanna.barrett/)
Arrayah had only recently celebrated her second birthday (INSTAGRAM@https://www.instagram.com/jordanna.barrett/)Several NFL teams also sent messages of support, including the Denver Broncos, where Barrett played for four seasons and with whom he won Super Bowl 50. The franchises’ quarterback Russell Wilson also added a personal message, tweeting: “Heartbreaking. Praying for you and your family Shaq.”
The late Arrayah only celebrated her second birthday on April 19 and was the Barrett family’s youngest child. She was born two months after Barrett won Super Bowl 55 with the Bucs by beating the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021.
Barrett was also a Pro Bowl selection that year, alongside Brady, after previously featuring for the 2019 season. That campaign also saw the linebacker named second-team All-Pro after leading the NFL in sacks and receiving the Deacon Jones Award.
Last season, Barrett’s campaign was cut short by a torn Achilles suffered during a Week 8 defeat against the Baltimore Ravens. He finished the season with 31 tackles, three sacks and one forced fumble across eight games.
The upcoming 2023 season is his fifth with the Bucs and the third of a four-year $72 million contract signed soon after their Super Bowl victory in March 2021. Without Brady, the Bucs have Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask as options at quarterback.