Exactly two weeks after signing with the Buccaneers, Cole Beasley is leaving Tampa Bay…and the NFL entirely. The veteran wide receiver appeared in two games for contender NFC South as a practice squad but decided before Week 5 to retire from football, his agents told NFL Media Wednesday, referring to the desire “to be a full-time father and husband” at home.
Beasley, 33, spent the entire 2022 offseason exploring his options as a free agent before joining the Buccaneers in late September. With several veterans, including Chris Godwin and Julio Jones, struggling with injuries in recent weeks, he has been promoted from the Bucs scout team for each of the past two games, catching three assists against the Packers and one against the Chiefs sunday. Now, he’s calling it a career just about a quarter into his 11th season.
Undrafted from SMU in 2012, Beasley spent his first seven years with the Cowboys, becoming a popular target for Tony Romo and Dak Prescott out of the slot. His best numbers in Dallas came in 2016, Prescott’s rookie year, when he recorded 75 catches for 833 yards and five touchdowns while helping the Cowboys finish 13-3.
Beasley is perhaps equally known for his three-year run with the Bills, who signed him to a $29 million deal as a free agent in 2019. He was an instant safety valve for Josh. Allen, scoring a personal best six touchdowns. in his Buffalo debut, but emerged even more the following year, when he caught a career-high 82 passes for 967 yards in Buffalo’s run at the AFC Championship Game. The veteran also had 82 catches in 2021, before the Bills released him this spring.