Robinson Provides Update of Beasley's 'Unexecused' Absence

Titans general manager says the free agent linebacker plans to join the team 'in the near future.'

NASHVILLE – Vic Beasley will take part in training camp with the Tennessee Titans. Eventually.

Exactly when the veteran outside linebacker plans to show up, however, remains unclear.

Thursday, general manager Jon Robinson updated the status of Beasley, who failed to report as scheduled for the start of training camp. Robinson said he had received assurance that the player still intended to join the team but did not provide a timetable for his arrival.

One of the team’s key offseason acquisitions, Beasley has been on the Titans’ Reserve-Did Not Report list since Tuesday, the day all veterans other than quarterbacks were to arrive for the start of training camp.

Robinson issued the following statement:

“On Tuesday July 28, we placed Vic Beasley on the Reserve-Did Not Report list. I have been in contact with Vic, he is not here, he understands his absence is unexcused, and he told me he will be reporting to camp in the near future. Our current focus is on the players that are here now, getting everyone acclimated to the protocols, our building, and our football program. We will have the same acclimation process with Vic when he reports.”

The fact that Robinson and Beasley have communicated directly is a good sign. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported a day earlier that team officials had not heard from the former NFL sack champion and had no idea why he had not shown at the training facility.

#Titans veteran pass-rusher Vic Beasley did not show up for COVID-19 testing again today, and there has been no communication on why or where he is, per sources. The team put Beasley — one of its big FA signings — on the "reserve/did not report” list yesterday.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 29, 2020

Beasley, 28, agreed to a one-year, $9.5 million contract during the legal tampering period (March 17) and formally signed the deal two weeks later.

The eighth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, he spent his first five seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. During that time, a member of the Falcons defense finished a season with five or more sacks 10 times. Beasley accounted for four of those 10, including two of the top three totals (an NFL-best 15 1/2 in 2016 and eight in 2019).

With 37 1/2 sacks for his career, he ranks just outside of the NFL’s top 20 over the past five seasons and is expected to help a defense that registered 43 sacks (tied for 13th in the NFL) last season.

"We can't let it affect what happens in this building," quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. "We still have to take care of the work that we need to get done while we're here. ... He'll be a few days behind or I'm not sure when he's going to come, but if he wants to be here, then we want him here. And once he's here, hopefully he's all in and jumps on board with us."