Cole Beasley's time in Buffalo is finished.
The Bills have released the veteran receiver, the team announced Thursday.
Beasley, 32, has compiled an impressive career, especially for an undrafted player, carving out supplementary roles in Dallas and Buffalo and racking up 550 catches for 5,709 yards and 34 touchdowns in 10 NFL seasons. He played an important role in Buffalo, catching 231 passes for 2,438 yards and 11 touchdowns in three seasons.
Even as teammates came and went, Beasley remained incredibly consistent, appearing in at least 15 games in each of his three seasons with the Bills. His age hasn't been much of a deterrent. The only drop in production came in the touchdown department, falling from six in 2019 to four in 2020 and just one in his age-32 season of 2021.
Though he's played a secondary role for the entirety of his career, Beasley's name remained in the online conversation last year for off-field reasons. The receiver attracted attention for his outspoken stance against vaccinations for COVID-19, and eventually landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list late in the regular season. He and teammate Isaiah McKenzie were both fined for not wearing masks inside the team facility during the 2021 season.
Buffalo re-signed McKenzie -- who is six years younger than Beasley -- this week, while veteran Emmanuel Sanders' contract officially expired with the start of the new league year Wednesday. The Bills appear set to proceed with a younger receiving corps that includes the trio of Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis and McKenzie. With a deep class of rookie receivers coming, it's fair to expect Buffalo to add to the position in April's draft.
