Cole Beasley has made a very loud statement about his unvaccinated status.
So in another interesting development with Cole Beasley, the Buffalo Bills wide receiver who has made so much noise over the NFLPA’s new COVID policies, has basically threatened retirement if things snowball into the perfect storm. I had wrote in an article earlier this week asking this very question, and it turns out it is a possibility.
While It is unlikely, we have seen players retire in their prime (or way before they’re out of gas- AKA Calvin Johnson) for different reasons. Those were always disputes with the team about contracts or money. In the case of Andrew Luck, it was injuries. Never has it been about something so personal and controversial.
Beasley goes on to claim that exercise and a good diet is what he’s going to stick with going forward in life. He also puts out a brazen “I’ll be out in public. If you’re scared of me, steer clear or get vaccinated.”
If Beasley does retire, the team wouldn’t have to pay him of his remaining salary (roughly $9.6M), but would still owe him his signing bonus ($1.5M) and any other option bonuses listed in his contract. That would make the WR2/3 battle super interesting as it’d most likely be a three-man competition between Isaiah McKenzie, Gabriel Davis and/or Marquez Stevenson or Jake Kumerow.
It ultimately is Beasley’s choice. But maybe Beasley should take some time to tough it out and see if this team can actually get back to a deep playoff run and the Super Bowl. Everyone has their right to have their beliefs and this isn’t an indictment on Beasley at all. It would just surely sting to pull a Tiki Barber and retire one year before his team won the Super Bowl.
Thanks to Spotrac.com for the contract info, and the Russell Street Report for information on the retirement impact on contracts.