The Green Bay Packers’ passing attack has experienced some turbulence through four games, but reinforcements could soon be on the way to help smooth things out.
There have been no reports of talks between Green Bay’s front office and free agent receiver Odell Beckham Jr., but the wideout has taken public flirtation with the idea to new heights over the last several days.
Most recently, Beckham confirmed that the Packers are among his top destinations in 2022 during a Twitter back-and-forth with ESPN’s Marcus Spears.
The analyst asserted that the five best landing spots for Beckham included the Packers, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams.
The receiver’s response was akin to agreement.
@mspears96 😇🤲🏾😁 we see eye to eye
Beckham tweeted a series of positive emojis, along with the caption, “We see eye to eye.”
Beckham Praised Packers’ Aaron Rodgers During Win Over Patriots
Getty Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., formerly of the Los Angeles Rams, warms up before the 2022 Super Bowl.
Beckham’s interaction with Spears represented the third domino to fall with the Packers in five days. The first came last Sunday off the tip of Beckham’s fingertips, while four-time MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers engineered an overtime victory against the visiting New England Patriots.
“AR is too 🔥,” Beckham tweeted on October 2. “Honestly, bro makes it look effortless.”
After Beckham initiated the conversation, it didn’t take long for Rodgers to reply.
“Odell and I have been friends for a number of years now, so we keep in contact often,” Rodgers told “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, 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 … until the injury.”
Now Is the Time for Packers’ Front Office to Make Move for Beckham
GettyHead coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers talks with QB Aaron Rodgers in 2021.
If Rodgers and Beckham remain true to their pattern, it’s the quarterback’s turn to make a second overture to the wideout in the public eye. But if the Packers are serious about more than just juicing up fans via the rumor mill, they will need to act quickly and decisively.
Beckham is expected to be finished rehabilitating the torn ACL he suffered during the Rams’ Super Bowl victory around Thanksgiving. Green Bay had a shot to land Beckham last year, though he ultimately selected the Rams, criticizing the Packers as not being “all in” enough on the idea of incorporating him into the offense.
That attitude should be changed simply by the reality that Davante Adams is no longer playing in green and gold, and that starters Allen Lazard and Romeo Doubs could use a real No. 1 option alongside them in the starting lineup. All that leaves to negotiate is the price.
Beckham agreed to a $90 million deal over five years with the New York Giants in 2018, a contract he worked with the Cleveland Browns to terminate in 2021, as he left the franchise midseason. He finished the last third of the year with the Rams for a paycheck of just over $4 million, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The receiver is likely to prove affordable again this time around based on his recent injury and minimal availability. He is also liable to view the final stretch and the playoffs as an audition for another large contract next spring, one that might be the final of Beckham’s career as he approaches his 30th birthday in November.
The Packers currently have $6.75 million in available salary cap space, per Over The Cap.
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$90 Million Receiver Confirms Packers as Top Destination