NFL Reporter Reacts to Colts’ Reported Interest in Odell Beckham Jr.

Odell Beckham Jr.

Getty Colts reporter Stephen Holder of ESPN weighs in on the rumors that wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will sign with Indianapolis.

Podcaster Rashaad McGinnis of “The Blue Stable” sent social media into a frenzy when he reported on August 2 that things were heating up between free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and the Indianapolis Colts. McGinnis implied that a contract for Beckham in Indianapolis was growing more imminent.

“I just got a text from a reliable source saying OBJ to the #Colts are heating up… I’m working to confirm how much validity it is to it… stay tuned for more!!!” he tweeted.

But just a day later, NFL reporter Stephen Holder of ESPN squashed McGinnis’ report while appearing as a guest on Indianapolis morning sports show “Kevin & Query.”

“I just don’t think [Beckham to the Colts] fits in any real logical way, and secondly, it’s not my understanding that they’ve had those conversations,” Holder said. “Look, you look at everybody and you have to be aware of what’s out there, but, no, I do not take this [report] very seriously whatsoever.”

Holder focused on two main points as to why he seriously doubts that Beckham will sign with the Colts.

ALL the latest Colts news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Colts newsletter here!

Join Heavy on Colts!


Colts Developing Young Wide Receiver Core

Indianapolis didn’t add a wideout older than 25 years old to its roster until the first day of training camp. And the receiver the Colts signed wasn’t a high-profile veteran. It was Isaiah Ford, who has under 100 targets in his four-year NFL career.

Of the 13 wideouts in training camp for Indianapolis, four of them are rookies. If Ford doesn’t make the final roster, the Colts will go into the 2022 season without a receiver older than 25.

But Holder hinted on “Kevin & Query” that that’s by design.

Second-round pick Alec Pierce and 25-year-old Parris Campbell, who is in a contract year, are vying for the starting wideout spot opposite 2021 breakout star Michael Pittman Jr. If the Colts add a veteran receiver such as Beckham, there will be fewer opportunities for Pierce and Campbell.

Holder argued that’s not what the Colts want.

“When [Beckham] is healthy, you kind of have to feed him, and that’s not what they’re about,” he said. “Frank Reich wants to spread the football around and, secondly, they are trying to develop these young guys.”

Campbell has 34 catches, 360 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in his three-year career, but he’s only played 15 games because of various injuries. He posted 10 receptions for 162 yards in 2021.

Pierce recorded 106 catches for 1,851 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in his college career at Cincinnati.


Chris Ballard’s Wide Receiver History

Even putting aside the Colts desire to develop their young receivers, Holder said Beckham isn’t a fit in Indianapolis. Holder pointed to general manager Chris Ballard’s history — or lack thereof when it comes to signing high-priced receivers — to prove his theory.

“We can look to his history and get a pretty strong indicator of what he’s going to do about a particularly issue, and I think this slots into that,” Holder said. “He hasn’t spent a lot of big money at that position.

“He hasn’t spent a lot of money in free agency at most positions but certainly not at wide receiver. In fact, we could argue about the resources in general spent at wide receiver.”

Despite still recovering from ACL surgery, Beckham possesses a market value of $13.1 million annually, Spotrac projects. The website estimated that he could sign a two-year deal worth more than $26 million.

If the Colts sign Beckham for even an amount close to that estimate, Ballard would be breaking a pretty big tendency.

Read More
,