Getty Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers reacts after being hit in overtime against the New England Patriots on October 2.
Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been forced to do more with less this season than most others, and one of the game’s top receivers has taken notice.
Odell Beckham Jr., most recently of the Los Angeles Rams, took to Twitter during the Packers’ 27-24 overtime win against the New England Patriots Sunday, October 2, at Lambeau Field.
AR is tooo 🔥…. Honestly bro makes it look Effortlesss
“AR is too 🔥,” Beckham tweeted. “Honestly, bro makes it look effortless.”
Beckham Has Been Linked to Packers Since Last Season
GettyWide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in 2021.
Beckham has been linked to the Packers several times before, beginning last season.
The three-time Pro Bowler forced his way out of the AFC North Division following two and a half years as a member of the Cleveland Browns. After clearing waivers, Beckham’s decision on where to play became entirely his own.
He narrowed his choices down to the Packers and the Los Angeles Rams, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
From the beginning of the process, Odell Beckham Jr spotlighted the #Packers and #Rams as his top targets. Other teams tried, but in the end, it’s down to two. A tough decision, as Odell just told @KimJonesSports. The offers are somewhat similar.
“From the beginning of the process, Odell Beckham Jr. spotlighted the #Packers and #Rams as his top targets,” Rapoport tweeted on November 11. “Other teams tried, but in the end, it’s down to two. A tough decision, as Odell just told @KimJonesSports. The offers are somewhat similar.”
In the end, Beckham chose the Rams because he did not view the Packers’ front office as “all in,” per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. On the other side of the equation, Rams head coach Sean McVay enticed Beckham with details of how he would fit into the team’s offensive schemes, and that was that.
Beckham joined the Rams and helped them win a Super Bowl, during which Beckham played fantastically before tearing his ACL in the second quarter. Beckham appeared in eight regular season games for the Rams, starting seven of them. He amassed 27 catches for 305 yards and five touchdowns over that span, per Pro Football Reference. Beckham also caught 26 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns across four postseason games with Los Angeles.
The wideout became a free agent following the Super Bowl and remains available four weeks into 2022, as he continues to rehab his knee injury.
Since the offseason began, NFL writers have linked Beckham and the Packers as a good fit for both sides. Most recently, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated speculated on the receiver landing in Green Bay when the time is right.
“I think the Packers signing or trading for a receiver will come down to opportunity — it’ll be who is available, rather than just plucking from those that are,” Breer wrote on September 28. “I could see Odell Beckham Jr. as an option when he gets healthy. But I don’t think you’ll see an overreach, where they do something just to do something.”
Beckham Could Provide Spark For Packers, Leadership to Young WRs
GettyFans celebrate with wide receiver Romeo Doubs of the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on October 2.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reported in early September that Beckham’s return, no matter which franchise it is for, will not come until around Thanksgiving — give or take a week. The holiday falls this year on November 24.
If it happens to be for the Packers, Beckham would join one of the younger wide receiver rooms in the NFL. Rookie Romeo Doubs has played his way into a starting role over the previous two weeks, as Sammy Watkins lingers on the IR with a hamstring injury.
Doubs had a breakout performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 25, hauling in eight catches for 73 yards and a touchdown. He backed that effort up with five catches for 47 yards and another score on Sunday against the Patriots.
Fellow rookie Christian Watson has struggled more to acclimate to the NFL game. After missing most of the preseason with a knee injury, Watson was also sidelined last week against the Bucs with a hamstring issue. He returned against New England, scoring the first touchdown of his career, albeit on the ground via a 15-yard rush. He also caught a pass for eight yards Sunday, bringing his season total to six catches for 51 yards.
Allen Lazard is currently the top option in a Packers’ offense that has struggled to move the ball through the air and to put up points this season. After totaling 27 points against the Patriots, Green Bay’s scoring average is just 18.75 points per game through four contests. However, the Packers continue to find ways to win, now with a record of 3-1 on the season.
Next up for Green Bay is a home contest against the New York Giants on Sunday, October 9.