Cole Beasley retires two weeks after signing with Buccaneers

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NFL wide receiver Cole Beasley is calling it a career after 11 seasons and just two games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Beasley was signed to Tampa Bay's practice squad on Sept. 20 and appeared in games against the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs before hanging up his cleats on Wednesday. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Cole Beasley warms up before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Sept. 25, 2022. (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"He is ready to be with his family after playing 11 seasons, and it's time to be a full-time dad and husband," Beasley’s agent Joel Turner told ESPN.

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"His wife and kids are still back home in Texas. They came out for the first game, went through the evacuation last week which the Tampa Bay organization hasn't received near the credit they deserve for the way they handled [Hurricane Ian] — nothing but first class by the Glazer family, [general manager] Jason [Licht] and [coach] Todd [Bowles]. He doesn't want to be separated from them anymore. He loves his wife and kids and wants to be with them."

Beasley was targeted five times by Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady, catching four passes for 17 yards. 

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Prior to signing with Tampa Bay, Beasley had not been with a team since being released by the Buffalo Bills in March after spending the past three seasons with the organization.

Beasley previously played for the Buffalo Bills, but was released in March of this year. (Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

In 2021, Beasley had 82 catches for 693 yards, a year in which the 33-year-old drew headlines for his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine. 

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Beasley, who remained unvaccinated against COVID-19 during a season in which the vaccine was a hotly debated topic, was fined roughly $100,000 for repeatedly violating COVID-19 protocols during the 2021 season, according to ESPN.

In his 11 seasons, Beasley had 554 catches for 5,726 yards and 24 touchdowns. 

 Beasley had 82 catches for 693 yards in 2021, a year in which he drew headlines for his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine. (Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

He spent the first seven years of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, who he joined as an undrafted free agent out of SMU. 

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"For a young man that came out of SMU that not one all-star game invited to play in, who prepared for his pro day working out by himself on campus and who 31 other teams in the NFL passed on as an undrafted free agent with only the Dallas Cowboys offering him a contract — he has had an incredible career," Beasley’s agent said to ESPN.

"We could not be prouder of him in every facet and appreciate each organization that he played for and allowed him to live the American dream. Cole always gave it his all."