The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ wide receiver group took a minor hit Wednesday, albeit one that appears to be permanent.
Cole Beasley’s agents informed NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo that the 33-year-old pass-catcher intends to retire. Beasley, who was briefly playing in his 12th season in the league, will leave the Bucs after only playing two games with the franchise.
“He is ready to be with his family after playing in 11 seasons and it’s time to be a full time dad and husband,” Beasley’s representatives told the pair of NFL insiders.
Beasley went unsigned for six months after he was released by the Buffalo Bills at the turn of the new league year in March. The seasoned slot receiver joined Tampa Bay ahead of its Week 3 matchup with Green Bay as Tom Brady and company dealt with issues in their wideout room. Beasley caught three passes for 12 yards in his Buccaneers debut against the Packers and only hauled in one catch for five yards this past Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. That primetime Week 4 tilt saw Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Julio Jones all back in the fold again for Tampa Bay, and their returns figured to diminish Beasley’s playing time and targets moving forward.
Signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2012, Beasley walks away with 554 catches for 5,726 yards with 34 touchdowns across 151 games to his credit.
