Getty New York Giants receiver Cole Beasley makes a catch.
The Dallas Cowboys will have to wait to face off against an old fan favorite as the New York Giants ruled him out for the Week 1 NFC East matchup. Wide receiver Cole Beasley joined up with the Giants this offseason before being cut and then brought back on the practice squad.
There was no guarantee that Beasley was going to be active as a practice squad member, but an undisclosed injury has forced New York to place him on the injured reserve. The Giants announced the move on their website, as well as announcing the signing of former Washington Commanders WR Cam Sims as the corresponding roster move.
It wouldn’t have been the first time Dallas has squared off with Beasley since he left the Cowboys after the 2018 regular season, but it would’ve marked the first time he was playing for one of Dallas’ in-conference rivals.
Now, Dallas has one less thing to worry about while the Giants see if Sims could be a potential option off the practice squad going into an important game to open the regular season.
Beasley Continuing Career with Giants
Beasley’s career should be used as an example for the NFL prospects who don’t have tons of college hype. While at SMU, Beasley made noise with two seasons with 1,000-plus receiving yards but went undrafted in the 2012 NFL draft.
Dallas picked him up as a UDFA that spring and Beasley impressed enough to make the 53-man roster. He even was able to earn a decent role on the offense, catching 15 passes for 128 receiving yards as a rookie, per Pro Football Reference.
It was still a slow but steady burn in terms of Beasley reaching career heights. From 2012 to 2016, he improved his receiving yards total each season, culminating in his best year with Dallas in 2016. Beasley caught 75 passes for 833 receiving yards and 5 TDs.
His final two years were still solid, but the receiver elected for a chance of pace with the Buffalo Bills. Beasley produced at a higher rate than any three-year period of his career, totaling 231 receptions, 2438 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns from 2019 through 2021.
Beasley actually retired last season after a stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but came back out to rejoin the Bills. However, Buffalo elected not to bring him back for the 2023 campaign, which led to the Giants signing him.
Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy Looking to Continue NY Trend
Since the arrival of Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy, the Cowboys have been a serious pain for the Giants to deal with. McCarthy has only lost once to New York, and that came back in his first season in charge in 2020.
Overall, McCarthy is 5-1 against the Giants with two season sweeps. Last year, the contests were relatively close (23-16 and 28-20 wins,) but it’s worth noting that the Cowboys were able to pull out their first win without starting quarterback Dak Prescott.
That being said, the challenge could be different in 2023. New York put together a 9-7-1 season to reach the playoffs and then beat the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round, before losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round, as Dallas did with the San Francisco 49ers.
Both teams are in “win now” mode, which means a season opener against a divisional opponent is about as important as a Week 1 game can be.