Getty Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers talks with Aaron Rodgers #12 during warmups before a preseason game against the New York Jets at Lambeau Field on August 21, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Packers Nation may be tiring of the talk but that doesn’t change the simple truth — the Green Bay Packers need to add a top-shelf wide receiver to their roster.
Even with rookie Christian Watson, an aging Randall Cobb, an unsigned Allen Lazard and a career disappointment in Sammy Watkins battling it out for the three starting spots at the position, the Packers remain clear betting favorites to win the NFC North Division.
The defense is stacked, reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers remains under center, and the offensive backfield boasts arguably the best one-two punch in all of football (Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon) outside of the Cleveland Browns (Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt).
But when the playoffs arrive and the likes of the Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers come calling, Green Bay must have a proven, go-to wide receiver upon whom Rodgers can rely. Given the names still available via free agency and the Packers timeline — requiring an elite pass catcher for the stretch run and the postseason, though not necessarily to start the year — there is one player that makes the most sense above all others.
That player’s name is Odell Beckham Jr, and ESPN insider Bill Barnwell noted in May that the Packers have arguably the best chance to land the receiver because the circumstances of each side’s situation endear them toward the other.
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Beckham’s ACL Injury Creates Risk, But One Packers Can Afford to Take
GettyWide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., formerly of the Los Angeles Rams, catches the ball in the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals during Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022.
Beckham tore his ACL after catching a touchdown pass in the Rams’ Super Bowl victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in February, the second time the wideout has suffered that injury over the course of his eight-year NFL career.
While a repeater injury of such severity is certainly cause for concern, Beckham remains only 29 years old. He has three Pro Bowls on his track record, albeit all three came early in his career with the New York Giants, and is now a Super Bowl champion.
He displayed an unquestionable resurgence once escaping what had become a toxic culture with quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Browns, amassing 305 receiving yards and scoring five touchdowns to finish the season with Los Angeles. He was key to the Rams’ postseason run as well, hauling in 21 catches for 288 yards and a couple of TDs.
Contract Talks With Beckham Could Prove Tricky Sticking Point For Packers
GettyFormer Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. runs with the ball during a January 2022 game.
The part that could get tricky for Green Bay is what to pay Beckham, and how long to pay him.
Rams head coach Sean McVay has expressed interest in bringing the wideout back into the fold in 2022, which could also be an obstacle in the Packers’ way, particularly because Beckham has publicly noted that said interest is mutual.
“I really want Odell back on our team,” McVay told NFL Network on May 16.
Beckham, for his part, chose the Rams narrowly over the Packers when deciding what team he wanted to play for during the middle of last season. It’s unclear what kind of contract Beckham is seeking, though the Packers are in a better spot to pay him than the Rams would be. Los Angeles has just over $5 million in cap space remaining this offseason, while Green Bay can spend just shy of $17 million.
Barnwell wrote on May 12 that a one-year marriage between Beckham and the Packers makes the most sense of any connection the receiver could make this offseason. The talent and timelines fit, while the Rams appear to have potentially moved on, even despite McVay’s public comments.
Though, Barnewell doesn’t expect anyone to pay Beckham big bucks for half of a season. He does, however, believe signing on with a team like Green Bay and a QB like Rodgers provides Beckham the best shot to get the third professional payday he is seeking come 2023.
Beckham was reportedly considering the Packers before joining the Rams last year, and while things worked out very well in Los Angeles, the circumstances have changed. The Rams have replaced Robert Woods with a big-ticket investment in Allen Robinson II.
The Packers, meanwhile, suddenly lack a No. 1 wideout after dealing Davante Adams to the [Las Vegas] Raiders. Green Bay did draft Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs in the second and fourth round, respectively, but Beckham would get a chance to be a true WR1 with a great quarterback if he joined the Packers this time around.
That opportunity just doesn’t exist anywhere else, and Beckham’s best chance of earning a significant contract in 2023 is to excel with the Packers in 2022.