For the second week in a row, the Buccaneers are calling on 11th-year veteran Cole Beasley to bolster a banged-up receiving corps.
On Saturday, the Buccaneers activated Beasley from the practice squad, making him eligible to play in their Sunday night game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week Four. Beasley, who was originally signed to the Bucs' practice squad on September 21, also played in the team's Week Three loss to the Green Bay Packers four days later. He logged nine snaps on offense and three on special teams and was targeted on four passes, catching three for 12 yards. His first reception as a Buccaneer was a nifty diving grab for four yards on fourth-and-one.
The Buccaneers played against the Packers without wide receivers Mike Evans (suspension), Chris Godwin (hamstring) and Julio Jones (knee). Evans is back for this week's game but Godwin and Jones are both considered questionable to suit up on Sunday night. In addition, wide receiver Breshad Perriman (knee/hamstring) is listed as doubtful for the game and wide receiver Russell Gage (hamstring) is questionable.
The NFL introduced the elevation option in 2020, which allows teams to activate up to two players from their practice squad for each game. By activating Beasley for Sunday's contest, the Buccaneers have increased their game day roster to 54 players. They will be able to keep 48 of those players active for the game, naming six inactives prior to kickoff.
Each player on the practice squad can be elevated up to three times during the regular season and an unlimited amount of times in the postseason. After the game, elevated players automatically revert to the practice squad without having to pass through waivers.
Beasley is coming off consecutive 82-catch seasons for the Buffalo Bills. He has played extensively in the slot during his career and has appeared in 149 games with 50 starts, recording 550 receptions for 5,709 yards and 54 touchdowns.
