Getty Former Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley looks on prior to the AFC Divisional Playoff game on January 23, 2022.
The Buffalo Bills surprised fans and analysts when they traded up to land Utah tight tend Dalton Kincaid in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The move was largely praised across the league, as the Bills desperately needed another offensive weapon for quarterback Josh Allen, but it wasn’t great news for veteran Cole Beasley.
The former Bills wide receiver was asked on Twitter about returning to Orchard Park next year and Beasley responded on Saturday, April 29, “I think them drafting that TE in the first round put an end to that man. He’s gonna be on the field. It was fun while it lasted though.”
Another Bills fan told Beasley that maybe something will happen when it gets closer to the start of the season, and the 34-year-old shut that narrative down. If Buffalo or any other franchise wants to sign the former undrafted receiver out of SMU, it can’t be an afterthought or he’s going to officially retire this time.
Beasley tweeted, “If I’m not in a Training Camp I’m retiring. Coming in when the season has already started doesn’t give me a chance to be implemented and make an impact. I need camp to develop chemistry with everyone and build confidence. If they won’t give me that then they don’t want me there.”
The veteran expressed a similar sentiment after the Bills’ postseason came to an abrupt end against the Cincinnati Bengals. ESPN‘s Alaina Getzenberg tweeted on January 23, “Beasley said if the opportunity is there, he would like to keep playing and that ‘it would help a lot’ to be somewhere for an entire year. When asked if he’d like that to be in Buffalo, he said, ‘Yeah, if that opportunity’s there, I would definitely want to come here.'”
Cole Beasley Came Out of Retirement to Re-Join the Bills Last Season
A reunion in Buffalo: WR Cole Beasley is coming out of retirement and expected to sign with the #Bills’ practice squad, sources say. After a brief stint with the #Buccaneers earlier this season, Beasley returns to Orchard Park to provide Josh Allen with another trusted target.
After getting released by the Bills last offseason, Beasley appeared in two games with Tampa Bay Buccaneers before announcing his retirement from the NFL. “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,” his agent, Justin Turner, said in a statement.
However, when the Bills’ slew of receivers failed to deliver in the slot last season, Beasley came out of retirement to sign with the team’s practice squad in December. Buffalo eventually elevated him to the active roster and during the playoffs, he recorded nine receptions for 68 yards and one touchdown.
Once again entering the offseason as a free agent, Beasley is not lacking in the confidence department when it comes to what he can deliver on the field. A few days before the draft kicked off, Beasley boldly stated that he’d be “the best” slot receiver on the Bills roster by “a long shot” should he return to Buffal, especially since last season, “I played without doing anything for 7 weeks when I came back. Lol.”
A fan tweeted back, “That’s kinda the point though, they need better,” to which Beasley replied, “If I’m there for a whole training camp you wouldn’t find anybody better…” If Beasley were to return to Buffalo, he would need a new jersey number because the Bills gave wide receiver Deonte Harty his former No. 11 after he signed with the team last month.
Cole Beasley Hated Being Compared to TE Dalton Kincaid
Found ourselves a playmaker. 😈 #NFLDraft
While Beasley’s tweets on Saturday insinuated that Kincaid was basically his replacement, he pushed back on the idea that two players could be compared. After seeing tweets about how Bills’ general manager Brandon Beane compared Kincaid to Beasley, he tweeted, “Please don’t compare me to any tight end. Lol… I think every WR gets offended if they’re compared to tight ends…” One fan responded, “Why? Because he’s going to have a better career than you did? Or because he can do what you did, only with a 6’4” 250lb body?” to which Beasley clapped back, “Sounds good. Haha.”
Following some pushback from fans, Beasley clarified, “I didn’t criticize the rookie. I just said don’t compare me to a tight end. Dude could be great. We just aren’t similar. The end… Also saying Josh was the #3 qb in the league isn’t a shot at him. Also has the potential to be the best easily.”