"He saw Tom and Gisele going through it and wanted to make sure it doesn’t happen to him" - NFL fans left shocked as Cole Beasley retires days after joining Buccaneers

Cole Beasley remained a free agent throughout this season, despite playing well for a playoff team in the Buffalo Bills last season. Desperation struck the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the wide receiver spot, so they signed the long-time wide receiver.

However, that return to playing in the NFL did not last very long. Beasley announced his retirement after just a couple of weeks on the roster. He had one catch in their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last week.

The decision to retire so soon after joining a real Super Bowl contender is puzzling. He stated that he wants to be a full-time father and husband.

NFL fans are not quite sure what to make of this decision as it has come as a total surprise. Many believe reports of Tom Brady's troubles with his wife Gisele Bundchen and their potential divorce might have played a role. Others do not wish him well after his controversial opinions on vaccines.

Since Beasley has cited family as a reason for retirement, the speculation that Brady's divorce (potentially partly due to a refusal to walk away from the game) isn't totally unwarranted.

AFC Divisional Playoffs - Buffalo Bills v Kansas City Chiefs

However, it's more likely that the former wide receiver isn't sure he wants to spend the rest of the year as the fourth, fifth or even sixth option when he could be spending time with his family.

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Where does Cole Beasley's retirement leave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

Out of sheer desperation, the Buccaneers were forced to turn to the streets for wide receiver help.

With both Chris Godwin and Julio Jones ailing and Mike Evans out with a one-game suspension, they were going to have Russell Gage and Scotty Miller as their top two targets.

They signed Beasley as a result, but now things aren't so dire. At full strength, the Buccaneers have an all-time great wide receiver room, and there's not much room for the former Bill in that.

It's very likely that he would have continued seeing minimal targets and minimal production each game, so his decision to walk away makes sense and doesn't hurt the Buccaneers too much.

Without him, they'll continue to rely on their litany of quality wide receivers, so this doesn't impact them in the least.