Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said this week that edge rusher Shaq Barrett’s desire to return to active duty after retiring this summer took him by surprise and that the team would need to discuss the situation before making any dcisions about bringing the veteran back into the fold.

The Dolphins ultimately decided against activating Barrett ahead of Thursday’s game against the Packers and they won’t release him, which means that Barrett will not return to action this season. After the Dolphins lost in Green Bay, McDaniel was asked about that decision at his press conference.

McDaniel said the players currently on the roster “have earned the right to be on it” and that meant “the timing I don’t think was necessarily ideal” to bring Barrett back from an extended layoff. McDaniel also said that it wasn’t a matter of keeping Barrett away from other teams.

“It wasn’t any measured situation like that posturing one way or the other,” McDaniel said, via a transcript from the team. “Like I said we just found out on a day that I had a press conference with you guys, and it was more of that. It wasn’t whether he wanted to play there or here. He knew we had his contractual rights, so it was more of where we are at, and let’s look at our roster.”

Barrett won’t play this season, but could revisit his options come the offseason.