Bills’ Cole Beasley on Deactivating Twitter Account: ‘Definitely a Weight Lifted’

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Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley has found life a little more carefree after going off the social media grid.

Beasley appeared to deactivate his Twitter account in mid-October. Following Buffalo’s 26-11 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, he said he was pleased with that decision.

“But it’s good for me to get back to where I wanted to be, and it’s not on there,” he told reporters. “The real world is out here and not there. Most people say things on there that you don’t want to hear. And it’s definitely a weight lifted, and I feel like I did the right thing.”

The 32-year-old drew attention on Twitter in the offseason for his views on the COVID-19 vaccine. At one point in June, he shared a statement saying he’d rather retire than get it.

Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes was among those who voiced their opposition to Beasley’s stances on the matter:

Beasley said in July he was “pro-choice” and wanted “complete transparency regarding information that is vital in the decision-making process” for his peers.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who are vaccinated are eight times less likely to contract the disease and 25 times less likely to be hospitalized or die from it.

With the regular season approaching, the Associated Press’ John Wawrow wrote the Bills were “considered to be at the lower end of the NFL scale in having about 80 percent of their players vaccinated.”

Head coach Sean McDermott called his squad’s vaccination situation “tough,” “frustrating” and “challenging” because of how a franchise can be affected by one or more positive tests.

Beasley was fined in August for violating the league’s COVID-19 protocol. The veteran pass-catcher has made seven appearances for Buffalo, catching 43 passes for 413 yards and one touchdown.