For a minute there, it looked like Odell Beckham Jr.'s 2021 season was going to end in disarray. The veteran receiver started the year with the Cleveland Browns and ultimately had a falling out with the organization, which included Beckham's father publicly criticizing quarterback Baker Mayfield. That contributed to Beckham's eventual release in early November and he quickly found a new home in Los Angeles with the Rams. There, Beckham enjoyed a resurgence as he instantly formed a connection with Matthew Stafford and proved to be a key cog as the Rams marched to a Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Upon joining the Rams, Beckham totaled 27 catches for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight regular-season games. He was even more efficient in Los Angeles' four playoff games, catching 21 of his 26 targets for 288 yards and two touchdowns. In Super Bowl LVI, Beckham looked like he was on his way to an MVP-caliber performance catching two passes for 52 yards and a touchdown, but suffered a knee injury that forced him out of the game and was later revealed to be a torn ACL.
As Beckham is in the midst of his free agency, that knee injury is expected to be a major factor given that he likely will miss a sizable amount of the 2022 season. That said, teams will still likely be interested in adding a dynamic talent to the roster for the late-season push, making him one of the more intriguing free agents to hit the market.
While we wait to see what Beckham plans to do next in his career, let this post be your hub for everything revolving around the wide receiver. Below, you'll find potential landing spots, a look at his projected contract, and a nugget-by-nugget news rundown of all the latest developments.
Salary cap figures come from Spotrac.
Potential landing spots
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams will likely be looking to bring as many pieces back from their Super Bowl championship team as they can, which includes Beckham. There was no denying that he and Stafford had instant chemistry and Beckham remaining in a comfortable system with a quarterback he's had success with as he continues to rehab should be a big motivator in trying to stay with the Rams. Meanwhile, Los Angeles has shown interest in keeping Beckham and could get him on a team-friendly deal given this latest injury.
New England Patriots
The Patriots were rumored to be one of the teams trying to land Beckham when he was released from the Browns in the middle of the season. If for some reason the Rams are unable to or decline to re-sign him, Bill Belichick could once again try to ink the talented receiver to a deal. If Beckham's market is sunk due to his torn ACL, it could become even more appealing for Belichick, who is always searching for value on the open market. New England is also in major need of a talent boost at the receiver position and a healthy Beckham would be an ideal top option for second-year quarterback Mac Jones.
Green Bay Packers
Green Bay was another team that tried to land Beckham during his brief free agent run in the midst of last season but ultimately fell short. With Aaron Rodgers back with the organization and Davante Adams now traded to the Raiders, the Packers have a clear need at receiver. While Beckham's injury may prevent him from providing some instant relief from losing Adams, he could be a factor late in the year as Green Bay makes another playoff push.
Projected contract
After being released by the Browns in early November, Beckham inked a one-year deal with the Rams that paid him just $1.25 million for the second half of the season. According to Spotrac's market value calculations, Beckham is now projected to fetch a contract that pays him an average annual salary of $13.1 million over two seasons. Of course, it remains to be seen how much Beckham's torn ACL impacts his market, and the receiver could look to sign a short one-year deal to possibly hit the open market again next year in a healthier position.
Prediction
When a player is saying he's willing to take a hometown discount and the head coach of that team is publicly saying that he wants the player to return, that's a formula for OBJ staying put in Los Angeles. The pairing was simply too seamless for either side to look elsewhere this offseason. While Beckham may not be around for the first half of the year due to the ACL recovery, the Rams have plenty of weapons to hold down the fort until he's able to hit the field. As long as Los Angeles can put a respectable below-market deal in front of Beckham, it's hard seeing him play anywhere else in 2022.
Free agent timeline
March 22: In a videoconference with reporters Tuesday, Rams GM Les Snead reiterated that the team wants to have Odell Beckham Jr. back in the fold for the 2022 season.
"He's someone that we definitely want back," said Snead, via Greg Beacham of the Associated Press. "A little bit more complex situation based on the injury. We envision it being similar but different circumstances to last year. When Odell is ready to play, we'd appreciate him being part of (the Rams)."
March 22: Could Odell Beckham be eyeing the Colts? In the aftermath of Indianapolis acquiring veteran quarterback Matt Ryan in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons, Beckham took to social media to endorse the move.
Random thought …. Bruh I really think Matt Ryan to the colts was actually 🔥, I think bruh will elevate and do sum special over there.
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) March 22, 2022
Michael Pittman is the only legit pass-catching option at receiver currently on the roster for the Colts, so Beckham could make sense for Indy, especially if he is intrigued with playing alongside Ryan.
March 22: Patriots pass rusher Matthew Judon has taken to social media to openly recruit Beckham to sign with New England. Judon tagged Beckham in a post with the caption reading "foxborough will love you my g." Beckham did respond to Judon's tweet and commended him on his relentless recruiting, so he may be willing to listen to a pitch.
A Beckham-Patriots pairing has been theorized dating back to when Tom Brady was under center, but the team did try to sign him after he was released from the Browns this past season. According to the receiver, Bill Belichick even called Beckham directly to try and land him, which nearly worked. Maybe the second time is the charm?
March 19: The Los Angeles Rams have traded veteran wide receiver Robert Woods to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a 2023 sixth-round pick. Of course, Woods' departure does create an open slot on the team's depth chart that could be filled by Beckham, who is still on the free-agent market. When the Rams initially signed Allen Robinson, it appeared like L.A. may have its top three wideouts in Woods, Robinson, and Cooper Kupp. However, this trade does seem to open the door for the club to slot Beckham back into the rotation if the two sides can come to terms on a deal.
March 17: The Rams have signed free agent wide receiver Allen Robinson to a three-year, $46.5 million contract, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. This contract also includes $30.7 million guaranteed. Robinson has spent his last four seasons as a member of the Chicago Bears and was arguably the top pass-catcher on the market.
While this may initially look like Los Angeles is set to move off of Odell Beckham, The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue relays that this signing may not preclude the club from also bringing back the veteran receiver.
March 4: Rams head coach Sean McVay isn't hiding his desire to keep Beckham in L.A. for the team's title defense in 2022, despite the receiver likely missing a chunk of the campaign due to his torn ACL.
"We definitely want to be able to get Odell back," McVay said during an appearance on Sirius XM's Mad Dog Sports Radio. "I also know that there's gonna be some other teams that probably want his services, but hopefully we'll be able to convince him to come back and be a part of this thing."
Feb 11: Beckham told NFL.com that his preference would be to remain in Los Angeles and re-sign with the Rams when he hits free agency later this offseason. The veteran receiver also said that he would be open to giving the team a hometown discount.
"This place, it feels good in my heart," Beckham said, per Nick Shook. "It feels like a home."
