During an interview with USA Today’s Jarrett Bell, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones indicated that the team is on the verge of signing Odell Beckham Jr. After months of speculation, Jones made his most concrete statement yet noting, “Odell’s going to join us.”
“Odell’s going to join us,” Jones said during the December 15 interview. “There’s a good chance he will, with the complete goal of getting ready for a playoff game or two, and then I’ll look to the future. But most of it being about now.”
Christmas may come slightly early for the Cowboys as a deal could become official after the team’s December 18 matchup against the Jaguars, per Bell. During a later interview with 105.3 The Fan on December 16, Jones did not sound as emphatic about Beckham’s status with the team but admitted a possible deal is “very alive.”
Jones did not reveal the financial details of the team’s supposed deal with Beckham. It remains to be seen whether Dallas would look to sign Beckham to a multi-year contract or if the star would once again become a free agent in 2023. Beckham last played on a one-year, $1.2 million deal with the Rams following his mid-season release by the Browns. The star receiver was traded by the Giants to the Browns in 2019 on a five-year, $90 million contract.
Jones Compared Potentially Signing OBJ to Deion
After the Cowboys met with Odell Beckham Jr., some NFL insiders reported that the Cowboys might be going cold on OBJ. @RapSheet joins @BobbyBeltTX & @rjchoppy to explain why he believes this isn’t the case.
Watch the full clip here: t.co/LXHN6UIOLi
Jones continues to use the team’s move to add Deion Sanders in 1995 as potential precedent for the impact Beckham can make on his new team. There are a few major differences in that Beckham’s addition would likely come without the playmaker appearing in a regular season. More importantly, Beckham is rehabbing from an ACL injury he sustained in the Super Bowl.
“I’m hopeful we can get into some important games and have some Deion Sanders-type results,” Jones added. “Could this be possible to have a great player like that get in two or three playoff games and make some significant plays? I think very much so. That’s not an exaggerated thought at all.”
NFL Network’s Jane Slater reported that Jones is “driving the bus” on signing Beckham. The three-time Pro Bowler also had free-agent visits with the Bills and Giants.
“On OBJ and the reporting of @USATODAY and @JarrettBell everyone I’ve talked to says Jerry Jones is driving the bus on this one. So standby 🤷🏼♀️,” Slater tweeted on December 16.
OBJ on Playing in Regular Season: ‘I Don’t See the Point’
“I don’t feel like @saquon and I got to do what we were supposed to do”
OKAY @OBJ 👀
🏈: @Raiders vs. @RamsNFL
#TNFonPrime | Watch #TNFinTheShop NOW on @PrimeVideo
From the start of the Beckham sweepstakes, Jones made it clear that he would do everything in his power to sign the wideout. Things appeared to hit a roadblock after Beckham made it clear he had no plans to play during the regular season. Jones’ latest comments indicate this will not prevent the Cowboys from signing Beckham, barring a last-minute setback.
“I haven’t made the decision, and for me, I would like to be in a stable environment get up [at] 6 a.m., leave at 6 p.m. for four weeks and then let’s talk about it,” Beckham noted during a December 8 interview on “The Shop.” “I’ve played football for a long time. I’m not saying that I couldn’t step in and play regular season, but I don’t see the point. I really don’t.
“Like, I would rather play when that pressure’s on. I would rather play when the lights is on. Like, I went through the whole playoffs after having my first bad playoff experience, all I was ready for was to clear that off my name.”
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Cowboys Plan to Sign Former $90 Million Pro Bowler: Report