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Just a month ago, Isaiah McKenzie had been benched and thought his season in Buffalo had come to an end.
Now, the versatile Bills receiver may have secured a spot for the rest of the year and the controversial receiver he replaced could be on his way out, an analyst says. McKenzie took a major role in the offense for the Bills against the New England Patriots, sliding into the slot to replace Cole Beasley and turning in one of the best games of his career. McKenzie made 11 catches for 125 yards and a touchdown, including a number of key grabs that propelled the Bills to a 33-21 victory.
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McKenzie’s Comeback
After struggles with ball security and some miscues in the return game, McKenzie found himself benched for the team’s Thanksgiving win over the New Orleans Saints. With the Bills facing stiff winds in the following game against the New England Patriots, McKenzie and fellow return specialist Marquez Stevenson remained on the bench.
McKenzie appeared downtrodden about his future with the team, even telling a fan on Twitter that he was “out for the season.” But with the vocally unvaccinated Beasley headed to the Reserve/COVID-19 list this week and joined by fellow receiver Gabriel Davis, McKenzie was called to play a bigger role — and delivered.
“With them being out, I just had to step up,” McKenzie said, via ESPN. “It was my turn and I felt like I had to step up for my team.”
The win gave allowed the Bills to retake control of the AFC East, and they can now clinch the division crown by winning out in their final two games. The Bills will play at home for both remaining contests, taking on the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets.
Beasley Could Be Headed Out
The big performance for McKenzie sparked speculation that Beasley’s time in Buffalo could be coming to an end.
“I’m guessing that Cole Beasley’s time as a Bill is very short,” tweeted Jerry Sullivan, longtime Bills columnist.
It could be more than just McKenzie’s performance on the field hurting Beasley’s chances of returning to the Bills. Just before Sunday’s game, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported that Beasley has repeatedly broken the league’s rules regarding unvaccinated players, far beyond the single fine that was publicly reported in August when he was seen inside the team’s facility without a mask covering his face.
“Bills receiver Cole Beasley has been fined multiple times for Covid protocol violations for a cumulative sum in the range of $100,000 per league and union sources,” Mortensen tweeted. “Beasley was fined $14,600 in August on a day league officials were in the facility to review the protocols.”
There would be some work to be done if the Bills intend to make a change for next season. Beasley remains under contract with the Bills through the 2022 season, but releasing him next season would leave the Bills with a manageable $1.5 million dead cap hit.
McKenzie is also a free agent after this season, but the Bills could be able to get him back at a bit of a hometown discount. He re-signed with the Bills for this season on a one-year, $1.15 million contract and said at the time that he would have stayed with Buffalo even if he was “getting paid in candy.”
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