Barnidge played college football at Louisville from 2004 to 2007. As a freshman, he had seven receptions for 85 yards and four touchdowns. As a sophomore, he had 17 receptions for 240 yards and two touchdowns. As a junior, he had 31 receptions for 511 yards and four touchdowns. As a senior, he had 53 receptions for 655 yards and seven touchdowns. In the game against Middle Tennessee State, he had four receptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns to go along with a fumble recovery for a touchdown. He played in 48 games, including 29 starts and recorded 108 receptions for 1,491 yards and 17 touchdowns. He majored in sports administration.
Professional career
Carolina Panthers
Barnidge was selected by the Carolina Panthers in the fifth round in the 2008 NFL Draft. The Panthers previously acquired the pick from the New York Jets in a trade that sent Kris Jenkins to the Jets. With the Panthers, Barnidge's main impact came on special-teams. In the 2008 season, he appeared in fifteen games in the regular season and the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the Arizona Cardinals. In the 2009 season, he had 12 receptions for 242 yards. In 2010, he appeared in all 16 games and led the team with 17 special-teams tackles. He missed the whole 2011 NFL season with a broken ankle suffered in a preseason practice. In November 26, 2012, Barnidge recorded his first professional touchdown reception against the Philadelphia Eagles on a 24-yard pass from Cam Newton. Overall, he finished the 2012 season with six receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Cleveland Browns
On March 14, 2013, Barnidge was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an unrestricted free agent. In the 2013 season, he had 13 receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns. In the 2014 season, he had 13 receptions for 156 yards. During the 2015 season, Barnidge had a breakout year and finished with 79 receptions for 1,043 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. His nine touchdowns tied Hall of Fame tight end Ozzie Newsome's franchise record set in 1979 and ranked No. 4 among all NFL tight ends in 2015. He was voted the best player on the Browns. On December 10, 2015, Barnidge was signed to a 3-year extension worth around $12 million. After the 2015 season, Barnidge made his first Pro Bowl, being voted as an alternate. He was ranked 94th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016. On June 2, 2016, Barnidge underwent a sports hernia surgery. He started all 16 games in 2016, catching 55 passes for 612 yards and two touchdowns. On April 28, 2017, Barnidge was released by the Browns.
