NASHVILLE - Vic Beasley Jr. appears ready for his long-awaited debut with the Tennessee Titans.
The outside linebacker who led the NFL with 15.5 sacks in 2016 spent this year's entire preseason on the nonfootball injury list because of a knee problem. Beasley finally passed his team physical Sept. 5, but he just completed his first full week of practice and is expected to play his first game for the Titans as they visit the winless Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Beasley talked with reporters Friday for the first time since agreeing to a one-year, $9.5 million contract in March and said he wants to make a great first impression. The Adairsville, Georgia, native spent his first five NFL seasons with the Atlanta Falcons after they drafted him No. 8 overall out of Clemson in 2015.
"This is an opportunity for me to put myself back in that category of one of the elite pass rushers, and I think this is a new start," Beasley said. "It's a new start for me, and I'm more than excited about it. I know the coaches are excited about it, and there's only one way to find out what I can do, and that's by playing."
Beasley had been a bit of a mystery the past few months.
The Falcons, who used him as both a linebacker and a defensive end during his time with the team, let him leave in free agency. Although he made 15 starts last season and posted a career high with 42 total tackles as well as eight sacks, Beasley has not been able to match his breakout performance of 2016, when he was a Pro Bowl selection after forcing six fumbles and turning the one he recovered into a touchdown.
He signed with the Titans, then missed the first 10 days of training camp. That made him subject to a $50,000 fine for each day missed for what general manager Jon Robinson called an "unexcused" absence. Once he reported, the Titans put him on the nonfootball IL, and he stayed there until he passed his physical.
Two days later, Tennessee signed outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney, who has played both of the first two games, helping Tennessee start 2-0 for the first time since 2008.
AP photo by George Walker IV / Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Vic Beasley Jr. crouches as he warms up during practice Sept. 9 in Nashville.Asked why he reported late for camp, Beasley said he had some things to work out with a "little disagreement here and there." Asked if the disagreement was between himself and the Titans or his representatives, Beasley declined to go into detail.
"We settled our differences, and we're both understanding of the situation," Beasley said. "So it's all good. It's all smiles on both ends, and we're happy to work."
Beasley also said the knee problem is something that he's been dealing with since college. He praised the Titans' training staff and said his knee has gotten better since being in Nashville.
He feels the Titans welcomed him when he reported for camp and said the franchise allows a player to be himself, which also helps coming to a new team.
"I had some areas that I worked on myself as a human being, and I've got that under control and now we're on the right path and we're headed towards being one of the best teams in the NFL," Beasley said.
The big attraction in coming to Tennessee was the chance to work with head coach Mike Vrabel, who had 57 sacks in his 14 seasons as an NFL linebacker, won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and was the Houston Texans' defensive coordinator before taking over in Nashville in 2018.
"I feel like that can only benefit me in a number of ways, because I feel like he understands like my mindset in a way because he's played the position before," Beasley said. "He has plenty of experience in that area, so I'm excited."
Having Beasley available should help a pass rush that needs a boost. The Titans have only two sacks, and one came from safety Kenny Vaccaro.
Beasley seems eager to play again, saying he knows there have been questions about whether or not he loves the game.
"If I didn't love playing ball, I would tell the coaches to go look for somebody else that may be a better fit for the organization," Beasley said. "But I'm not going to give nobody no halfhearted effort. I want to give them the best of what I got, and that's by making sure I'm mentally prepared and physically prepared."