Getty Odell Beckham Jr. of the Cleveland Browns walks off the field in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Odell Beckham Jr. has been rehabbing hard since an ACL tear ended his second season with the Cleveland Browns and the star pass-catcher is making some big strides in his recovery.
Beckham shared a video to his Instagram on Tuesday showing that he was “back on his feet” and jogging on his surgically repaired knee.
It looks like @obj is hitting his stride 💪
Beckham has shared videos documenting his recovery intermittently since the injury occurred in October. The ACL tear comes after a first season in Cleveland where he was banged up from the start.
“It’s like an extremely fast car with a like a little alignment or something off, and you know, it’s right in the center of what you need. Now the car can still go, but it’s dangerous. You know what I mean?” Beckham said toward the end of the 2019-20 season.
Beckham shared a post from his most recent rehab stint saying he’s “been through hell.”
“Ima be honest,” he wrote. “I been thru hell these last couple years n I just keep it pushin… this [expletive] ain’t for errbody!”
Browns Reject Notion Offense Better Without Beckham
GettyOdell Beckham Jr. and Baker Mayfield
Quarterback Baker Mayfield got off to a fairly rough start to the season in yet another new offense, but found his stride after Beckham went down. While some liked the narrative that Beckham was holding back Mayfield’s progression, the Browns made clear they did not feel that way.
“I have said it multiple times, Odell is a good football player,” Browns GM Andrew Berry said after the season. “He acclimated nicely with our program, with (coach) Kevin (Stefanski) and with his teammates. Quite honestly, I just want as many good football players on the roster as possible. … He is dynamic.”
#Browns GM Andrew Berry on team missing skill set of Odell Beckham Jr. after torn ACL: You always want someone that talented on the field
Mayfield also came to the defense of OBJ, rejecting the notion they were better off without him on the field.
“I think it is just completely insensitive to a guy that just tore his ACL,” Mayfield said shortly after Beckham’s injury. “I am not even going to comment on it. You never want to lose guys, and that is where I am going leave that one.
“I just know how much he cares about the game and how much he cares about trying to win. It sucks for us, but you hurt even more just for him. No fun, but we have to be able to have guys step up and try and fill that void. Like (Head Coach) Kevin (Stefanski) said, it is not going to be a one-man job. It is going to take multiple people fill that.”
Before tearing his ACL this season, Beckham had 23 catches on 43 targets for 319 yards and three touchdowns, also adding a rushing score.
Browns Face Decision With WR Rashard Higgins
GettyJarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins and Baker Mayfield.
While there’s been some talk about Beckham’s future in Cleveland, the Browns also have to make a decision regarding veteran Rashard Higgins, who will be an unrestricted free agent.
Higgins signed a 1-year deal with the team last offseason, taking less money to return to Cleveland, the team that drafted him in the fifth-round of the 2016 draft.
Higgins posted a career-year filling in for Beckham, notching 599 yards, 4 touchdowns and 16.2 yards per catch last season. That was despite playing in just 13 games and starting six.
The Browns were reportedly working on a contract extension for Higgins during the season, but nothing ever came of the discussions. His strong chemistry with Mayfield and familiarity with head coach Kevin Stefanski’s system should be enough to bring him back to Cleveland if the price is right.
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