At Last, Beasley Added to Active Roster
NASHVILLE – He was absent from every preseason, but free agent linebacker Vic Beasley showed up on the Tennessee Titans’ active roster for the start of the regular season.
The Titans removed Beasley from the non-football injury (NFI) list Saturday, one of the many moves they executed in order to be at the 53-man limit by the 3 p.m. (CDT) deadline.
Beasley was a no-show at the start of training camp and spent 10 days on the reserve-did not report list. Following his arrival and subsequent clearance of all COVID-19 protocols, he failed a physical and was placed on the NFI list.
The whole series of events created questions about his desire to be a part of the Titans or even to play football. Team officials, though, remained committed to Beasley’s return to health and eventual participation in football activities.
“What (Beasley) has done is everything we've asked him to do since he's been here, and again, continuing to work hard,” coach Mike Vrabel said Friday. “I've seen him become more comfortable with his teammates and with us, and with this organization since he's been here. That's what I have to go by and that's what I will continue to do.”
Beasley took a significant step forward this week when he took to the practice field on Thursday and went through some one-on-one work with Vrabel during the early stages of that day’s practice.
The 28-year-old was the most high-profile of Tennessee’s free agent additions this year. He signed a one-year, $9.5 million contract, which included a $6 million signing bonus, on March 22.
Beasley was the eighth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by Atlanta. In his second season, he led the NFL with 15 1/2 sacks and earned first-team All-Pro recognition as Atlanta finished 11-5, won the NFC South and eventually reached the Super Bowl.
In three seasons since, he has produced just 18 sacks total.
Now – finally – the Titans get to see what he can do for them and for their defense.
“He's a great person. He's one of the best people I know,” defensive lineman Jack Crawford, another of this year’s free agent additions and a teammate of Beasley’s in Atlanta for the past three seasons, said recently. “He's a great friend, great player. Off the field, he's always giving back to the community, one of the most generous people I know. On the field, he's just very easy to work with.
“… I knew as soon as I got here, I knew he would fit into the culture, because he gets along with everybody and I think people get along with him.”
