Getty Aaron Rodgers and Odell Beckham Jr. have become friends over the past few years.
Odell Beckham Jr. threw a little gas on the rumor flames about him over the past weekend when he tweeted out high praise for Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, calling him “a different breed” and agreeing that he and the four-time NFL MVP could do some damage together in the same offense.
Turns out, Rodgers thinks just as highly of the Super Bowl-winning wide receiver.
Rodgers was asked about Beckham’s tweets during his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show and mentioned he and the former Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns star have been friends for several years and keep in regular contact. Rodgers also said knowing a player like Beckham has him “always hoping” a time will come where the two of them get the opportunity to play together.
“Odell and I have been friends for a number of years now, so we keep in contact often,” Rodgers told McAfee on October 4. “We talked at various times over the years and obviously with a player like that, you’re always hoping that there’s a time where you can figure things out and play together, but he’s a special talent and I was really happy for him to see how they used him in L.A. and for him to get a ring. Obviously, he was dominating the game to start that game until the injury.”
Rodgers: Beckham Will Have ‘His Pick’ of Playoff Teams
Rodgers was specifically asked whether he would be keeping tabs on Beckham’s status moving forward into the 2022 season. Given the youth in the room, there could come a point later in the season where the Packers feel like adding another veteran receiver to the room would be beneficial, someone — like Beckham — who could potentially help push them over the hump in the playoffs.
For now, Rodgers is simply wishing for his friend and fellow NFL veteran to get back to full strength again with Beckham still in recovery from the ACL tear that he suffered less than eight months ago in Super Bowl LVI. Once that happens, though, Rodgers foresees Beckham having his pick of the litter in terms of playoff contenders in need of help.
“I’m not sure what his status is going to be honestly and I don’t think I’m speaking out of turn,” Rodgers said about Beckham and his current situation. “I think he’d probably say the same thing. I don’t know if there’s anybody that rehabs as hard as him. I mean, he works. … But I like Odell and I appreciate his friendship. I, first and foremost, just want to see him healthy. He’s dealt with a number of major injuries in the past five years and surgeries and rehabs, and the most important thing is him getting healthy. And then, I’m sure he’ll have his pick of competitive playoff teams who are looking to add a stud like that to their roster.
Packers Competed With Rams for Beckham in Late 2021
The Packers have expressed interest in signing Beckham in the past. Just last year, ESPN’s Jordan Schultz reported Beckham was “prioritizing” signing with the Packers when he was granted his release from the Browns. Davante Adams and Elgton Jenkins even both tried to publicly recruit him to their playoff-bound team, but Beckham ultimately signed with the Rams after — according to Schultz — he got the sense that the Packers weren’t “all-in” on trying to add him.
“Odell’s final [two] teams came down to the #Rams and #Packers (who remained his preferred destination),” Schultz tweeted on November 11, 2021. “Not once did OBJ feel like GB was all-in. On the flip side, he spoke [with] Sean McVay, who was able to creatively detail the multitude of ways he’d maximize OBJ’s talented. Beckham spoke [with] several #Rams players, who not only recruited him, but just as [important], vouched for the [organization] as a whole. I’ve been told since last week OBJ’s top priority is to win a ring. Also, Von Miller’s his guy and #Beckham loved how aggressive LA was in trading for him.”
The Packers could have another opportunity to seal the deal with Beckham once he is healthy again later in the 2022 season, but will they have the same level of interest this time around? They no longer have an All-Pro wide receiver in the midst with Adams now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders, but they have an ascending Allen Lazard, a trusted veteran slot guy in Randall Cobb and two promising rookies — Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson — who Rodgers continues to express confidence in.
“I think both of those guys can be dudes,” Rodgers said of his rookies on McAfee’s show.