Fans and media have discussed Odell Beckham Jr.’s potential return to the Cleveland Browns for over a week. On Monday, head coach Kevin Stefanski joined the conversation.
Stefanski conducted a press conference March 28 from the NFL Owners’ Meetings at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. Cleveland’s lead man spoke on a variety of topics, from how the team’s new offensive scheme will look with quarterback Deshaun Watson under center to resolution on a possible trade involving Baker Mayfield. He also addressed the combination of reporting and speculation that indicates former Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. may be interested in a return to the Browns just a half season after forcing his way out of town.
“For all [free agent] players, we’re always going to monitor all those situations,” Stefanski said. “I would tell you I really like Odell. [He] worked hard for us, happy for him, and we’ll see how it all plays out.”
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Beckham Has Addressed Cleveland Situation on Multiple Occasions
GettyWide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., formerly of the Cleveland Browns, is a free agent during the 2022 NFL offseason.
Beckham, too, has openly discussed both his exit from Cleveland and a potential return.
The wide receiver spoke about his departure from the Browns during a Super Bowl-week media session, saying he regretted the lack of closure he felt after his time in Cleveland concluded. Much of that, Beckham added, was due to how quickly the situation progressed after his father posted a video highlighting the ways in which Mayfield had failed Beckham as a quarterback.
“It’s like having a breakup, but there really was no closure,” Beckham said. “It was just it. One of the things I’ve always been big on in my life is closure because if you don’t have closure — the doors, if they’re not closed, they are always still open. Having to leave … these guys you had lifetime friendships with, they’re your brothers, and it was just so abrupt.”
Beckham ended up a member of the Los Angeles Rams and eventually a Super Bowl champion, though he tore his ACL during the first half of the team’s title win. The Rams have since traded wide receiver Robert Woods to the Tennessee Titans and signed former Chicago Bears pass catcher Allen Robinson, indicators that an injured Beckham probably won’t be returning to the City of Angels once he’s healthy enough to play — which will likely be sometime during the middle of next season.
As such, Beckham will need to find yet another team in 2022. That reality has led to some campaigning to get the three-time Pro-Bowl wideout back on the Browns roster, including Cleveland rapper Tezo who tagged Beckham in a tweet on March 18 asking him to return.
@tezoforprezo Lol that’s an interesting one
Former Browns WR Jarvis Landry Has Interest in Return to Cleveland
Getty ImagesWide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. (left) and Jarvis Landry (right), formerly of the Cleveland Browns.
The chances of a reunion between Beckham and the Browns should increase if his former teammate WR Jarvis Landry also circles back to Cleveland. That is now a distinct possibility, as Landry’s new agent Roosevelt Barnes publicly confirmed his client’s interest on Monday. Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com broke the news.
“That’s his home and he loves it there,” Barnes said. “There’s mutual interest in him being back there, but Jarvis also has interest from some other teams as well.”
Landry’s agent noted that the swap under center of Watson for Mayfield and the Super Bowl aspirations that change has legitimately inspired have been huge factors in Landry’s thinking. After spending his previous four seasons in Cleveland, Landry originally sought a trade following the team’s acquisition of former Dallas Cowboys wideout Amari Cooper. When no trade had materialized two days later, the Browns released Landry in order to save approximately $15 million on the salary cap.
“When you’re a receiver, you always want to play with a great quarterback like Deshaun,” Barnes continued. “Jarvis has always had a special place in his heart for Cleveland, but Deshaun being there makes it more intriguing.”
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Browns HC Kevin Stefanski Breaks Silence on WR Odell Beckham’s Return