Former Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley is signing with a new team. Though some within the fanbase had hoped for a reunion with the Dallas native and onetime SMU star- and he himself suggested one- he’ll instead join forces with another receiver-needy club for his 11th NFL season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are adding Beasley to their practice squad, according to multiple reports, with the expectation that he’ll move up to the active roster in very short order. The Bucs have several injuries at the position- Julio Jones and Chris Godwin sat out the team’s Week 2 game in New Orleans, and Mike Evans is currently facing a one-game suspension for his role in a fight during that 20-10 Tampa Bay win.
Beasley will suit up in red and pewter at the personal urging of Bucs quarterback Tom Brady, who had reportedly been in regular contact with the 33-year-old free agent.
Beasley was released by the Bills in March after three seasons in Buffalo.
An undrafted prospect in 2012, the 5-foot-8-inch Beasley was signed by Dallas, but nearly quit football just as his first training camp began. He changed his mind and returned to the team, going on to not only make the final roster, but eventually see action in 10 games as a rookie.
Beasley quickly became a fan favorite and tallied 319 receptions and 3,217 yards over seven seasons with the Cowboys, scoring 23 touchdowns along the way.
Among his most memorable Cowboys moments was his game-winning grab in the back of the end zone to beat the Giants in the 2018 regular-season finale. It would be his last touchdown with the team; he signed with Buffalo two months later.
Dak won the game with an absolute LASERBEAM. 😳😳😳 @dak pic.twitter.com/F8SkywSdtx
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) January 2, 2019
Beasley added another 231 catches, 2,438 yards, and 11 touchdowns in his three years with the Bills.
Despite going scorched-earth with critical comments made about the Cowboys organization after first joining the Bills, Beasley tweeted over this past summer that he would welcome the chance to play once again with Dak Prescott. But his earlier trash talk and controversial soapbox stance on the NFL’s COVID vaccination policies made such a reunion unlikely, despite the Cowboys finding themselves thin at wide receiver as they headed into 2022.
Of his signing by Tampa Bay, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo said in a Tuesday tweet, “Tom Brady pushed to bring in another veteran pass catcher and has had Beasley on his radar for a while.”
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