Buccaneers wide receiver Cole Beasley abruptly retired from professional football on Wednesday.
Beasley’s agents, Justin and Joel Turner, told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, that the veteran receiver had decided to hang up his cleats in order to “be a full time dad and husband.”
#Bucs WR Cole Beasley has decided to retire effective immediately, his agents Joel and Justin Turner tell me and @MikeGarafolo. “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.” pic.twitter.com/jyk3qojEQd
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 5, 2022
After signing a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 20, Beasley winded up playing just two games for Tampa Bay.
Beasley will be remembered for his gritty play as a member of the Dallas Cowboys (2012-2018) and the Buffalo Bills (2019-2021). Despite being only 5 feet and 8 inches tall and entering the NFL undrafted out of the Southern Methodist University in Texas, Beasley carved out a successful career in the league playing as a slot wide receiver.
During Beasley’s 10-year career, he managed to rack up over 60 receptions in a season five separate times. According to Pro Football Reference, Beasley had a career-best 967 yard season during the 2017-2018 NFL campaign. During that season, Beasley also played in the AFC Championship game, where he caught seven passes for 88 yards during Buffalo’s 38-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Beasley was always a reliable target during his improbable career. He had a knack of getting open and moving the chains for first downs.
Despite being short for an NFL player — the average is around 6’2″ — Beasley played like a goliath.