The Buffalo Bills announced they are signing wide receiver Cole Beasley. The 33-year-old veteran has come out of retirement to join the Bills’ practice squad. According to Mike Garafolo from the NFL Network, Beasley is expected to be promoted to the Bills’ game-day roster pretty soon too.
In addition to convincing Beasley to come out of retirement, the Bills announced they are adding Brandin Bryant to the fold, while Marquez Stevenson and C.J. Brewer are no longer part of the Bills’ active roster.
Wanted to Focus on Family, Will Focus on Postseason Instead
Cole Beasley spent most of his NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys, where he played seven seasons, before joining up with the Bills in 2019. He stayed in Buffalo for three seasons and was a target Josh Allen could trust.
Beasley made headlines during the COVID pandemic when he refused to get vaccinated. He was also not happy with the COVID protocols the NFL implemented back then.
The Bills gave the wide receiver permission to look for a trade in the 2022 offseason and he joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, Beasley played just two games for the Bucs and caught only four passes for 17 yards.
So, he decided to retire, and, in October, he announced he was going to focus on his family and become “a full-time dad and husband.” However, when the Bills came calling, the NFL veteran couldn’t resist the opportunity to take part in their playoff run, so he changed his mind.
The team from Buffalo has been searching for both experience and depth, and Beasley brings both. And he might start sooner than Bills fans expect. Jamison Crowder is still on injured reserve, so Buffalo might need the services of the veteran wide receiver right away.
The Bills Chose Beasley Ahead of Odell Beckham Jr.
Another wide receiver that’s currently without a team visited Buffalo recently. The Bills hosted Super Bowl winner Odell Beckham Jr., who also traveled to New York and Dallas, in an attempt to get his NFL career back on track.
However, the Bills decided to go with Beasley, as he is a tried-and-tested option they can trust, unlike Beckham Jr. who has been out with an ACL injury, meaning teams are super-cautious about signing him.
The Dallas Cowboys were also in the mix to sign the former Rams receiver. However, similar to the Bills, they opted for veteran T.Y. Hilton instead.
