Getty Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Cole Beasley.
Leading up to the Kansas City Chiefs Week 4 game on Sunday Night Football against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bucs’ receiver room was banged up.
Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, Russell Gage, and Breshad Perriman were tending to injuries prior to that game. Mike Evans was also suspended for the team’s Week 3 game against the Green Bay Packers. That’s why Tampa Bay dipped into free agency on September 20 by signing veteran Cole Beasley to their practice squad and then elevated him to the active roster on September 24.
Against Green Bay, Beasley, 33, had 3 catches on 4 targets for 12 yards, a quiet debut for a receiver that joined the Tom Brady-led offense just days prior.
In Week 5, however, Beasley’s production was worse.
Against Kansas City and with Evans, Godwin, and Jones back in the lineup, Beasley had 1 catch on 1 target for 5 yards. Playing against a stingy Chiefs defense left Beasley with another underwhelming performance, to the point where Kansas City might have actually pushed Beasley out of the NFL entirely.
Beasley Announces Retirement After Chiefs-Bucs Game
On Wednesday, October 5, Beasley announced that he was retiring effective immediately, according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo.
#Bucs WR Cole Beasley has decided to retire effective immediately, his agents Joel and Justin Turner tell me and @MikeGarafolo. “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.”
The Chiefs won’t be named the de facto reason Beasley decided to retire mid-season. In fact, Beasley said spending time with his family is why he decided to call it a career. However, one has to think if he was more productive against Kansas City’s defense that he would have continued playing.
Twitter users took a stab at determining the ulterior motive for Beasley’s retirement.
“Cole was forced to retire and a bum. Tom Brady is still one of the best QBs. Cole would play until 50 if he was good enough,” one Twitter user wrote.
@LouAye_ @TomPelissero @RapSheet @MikeGarafolo Cole was forced to retire and a bum. Tom Brady is still one of the best QBs. Cole would play until 50 if he was good enough.
“Not shocked by this. Whole many thought it would he a good fit with Brady I wasn’t so sure,” another user wrote. “He loved the freedom he had in buffalo because he and Josh were on same page…doubt Brady lets his receivers do anything but what the play calls for is the play book. My 2 cents.”
@TomPelissero @MikeGarafolo Not shocked by this. Whole many thought it would he a good fit with Brady I wasn’t so sure. He loved the freedom he had in buffalo because he and Josh were on same page…doubt Brady let’s his receivers do anything but what the play calls for is the play book. My 2 cents
“After catching passes from josh for a few years it’s tough to downgrade to a lesser QB, i get it,” another user wrote.
Chiefs Beat Bucs in Primetime
After their first loss of the season in Week 3, the Chiefs bounced back with a win on Sunday Night Football in Week 4, beating the Buccaneers 41-31.
After recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff and turning it into six points two plays later, the Chiefs took the lead 45 seconds into the game and never looked back.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs’ offense in a big way by completing 23-of-37 pass attempts for 249 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and also had an interception late in the fourth quarter. The leading pass catcher for Kansas City was tight end Travis Kelce, who caught 9 passes for 92 yards and had the first touchdown of the day.
Last night, Patrick Mahomes became with quickest QB in history to 20,000 passing yards.
Last night, Travis Kelce surpassed Rob Gronkowski to enter the top 5 for most career receiving yards by a Tight End.
Just two 🐐’s hanging out 😎
(📹 @NFL)
Another top performer for Kansas City was the run game in general. Clyde Edwards-Helaire carried the rock 19 times for 92 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and had one score on the ground against the Buccaneers. Rookie Isiah Pacheco also ran the ball 11 times for 63 yards (5.7 YPC).
#Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire gets inside TB’s red zone with a 20-yard rush. #ChiefsKingdom
Whether it was on the ground or through the air, the main reason Kansas City’s offense found so much success against a stout Tampa Bay defense was because of the offensive line. The unit did give up three sacks, but outside of that, they gave Mahomes enough time to work his magic for four quarters. More importantly, they dominated in the trenches and gave the Chiefs’ running game a chance to close out the Week 4 game.
As for Kansas City’s defense, the unit forced 9 total pressures on Brady (4 QB hits, 4 QB hurries), one of which was a strip-sack by L’Jarius Sneed that was recovered by Chris Jones deep in Tampa Bay territory and set up Kansas City’s fourth touchdown of the day.
#Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed blitzes Tom Brady, forces the strip sack, & Chris Jones recovers. #ChiefsKingdom
The Chiefs’ defense also dominated in the run game, which forced the Buccaneers to abandon it during the second half. Tampa Bay finished with 6 rushes for 3 yards. Veteran running back Leonard Fournette had 3 rushes for -3 yards.
#Chiefs LB Nick Bolton wraps up RB Leonard Fournette for a loss. #ChiefsKingdom
The Chiefs enter Week 5 with a 3-1 record which keeps them in first place in the AFC West ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers (2-2), Denver Broncos (2-2), and Las Vegas Raiders (1-3).
Next up for Kansas City is a Monday Night Football matchup against the Raiders on October 10.