Getty Odell Beckham Jr. #13 of the Cleveland Browns.
There has been lots said about wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. since he went down with a season-ending injury, but the Cleveland Browns star shared his first message since suffering the devastating blow on Friday.
Beckham took to Instagram to share a message for his fans, thanking everyone for the support during what is likely the toughest moment of his career. The 27-year-old pass-catcher also promised to be back soon.
“I couldn’t tell u why this happened, this one doesn’t make much sense, it’s not for me to question, but I believe God truly has a plan and is using me for it. Ton of emotions flowing.. just taking some ME time, some time to heal. Thank u all for the Luv… be back soon”
Browns Insulted by Sentiment Offense is Better Without Odell Beckham
Beckham suffered a torn ACL on the first pass of the game last week against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns went on to win in thrilling fashion 37-34 on a late touchdown strike from Baker Mayfield to rookie Donovan Peoples-Jones.
It turned out to be one of Mayfield’s best games as a pro. He set the franchise record for consecutive completions and racked up five touchdown passes. That led many to insinuate that the offense was somehow better without Beckham — an all-world talent when healthy.
“For one, I think it’s just completely insensitive to a guy who just tore his ACL,” Mayfield told reporters when confronted with that narrative this week. “I’m not even gonna comment on it. You never wanna lose guys, and that’s where I’m going to leave that one.
“It’s just awful losing a guy like that. We believe we have a great team, that’s why were going to ask multiple guys to step in and try to fill that void,” Mayfield added. “We’re still going to lean on the running game, we’re still going to lean on the play-action, and trust the guys to make on-one-plays when they’re there. Without him, there might not be as many one-on-one opportunities, but that just means that we have to be more efficient in zone coverage and things like that to make those plays.”
Rashard Higgins Confident Filling Staring Spot for Browns
GettyBaker Mayfield, David Njoku and Rashard Higgins of the Cleveland Browns.
It’s going to take multiple players to fill the role of Beckham, but Browns veteran wide receiver Rashard Higgins will be key. Pro Bowler Jarvis Landry will likely play primarily in the slot, so Higgins will be responsible for making the plays out wide.
“I’m still in the starting lineup, as of now. I really don’t expect that to change,” Higgins said. “At the end of the day, I have to work for everything I ever got. If I had to work to get in this position, I’m going to do it. Here I am. To God give glory and I can’t be thankful for enough.”
Higgins broke out against the Bengals for a career-high 110 yards, including an acrobatic catch on the game-winning drive. However, Higgins makes no claim to be the same athlete as Beckham.
“We all run the routes just about the same, some people just run it faster. Odell was playing well, he’s a little faster, I’m a little slower,” Higgins said. “Baker’s got to slow the ball down for me a little bit.”
Cleveland will put their new-look offense to the test this week against the Raiders. The Browns are a 2.5-point favorite at home.
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Browns WR Odell Beckham Breaks Silence After Injury