Getty Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The Kansas City Chiefs showed their interest in free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for the first time in 2023 on Friday, March 10. They did so by being one of 11 teams that attended his private workout in Arizona, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
Teams represented at Odell Beckham Jr.’s private workout in Arizona today included the Panthers, Giants, Patriots, Rams, Cardinals, 49ers, Bills, Chiefs, Vikings, Browns and Ravens, per source.
The other 10 NFL teams that attended the workout, per Jones, were the Panthers, Giants, Patriots, Rams, Cardinals, 49ers, Bills, Vikings, Browns, and Ravens.
Odell, 30, suffered a torn ACL during the 2022 Super Bowl as a member of the Los Angeles Rams and took the following 13 months to fully recover from it. That included missing the entirety of the 2022 NFL season.
The Chiefs have been linked to Odell Beckham Jr. dating back to November mainly due to NFL pundits naming Kansas City as an ideal landing spot for him. But the former All-Pro receiver has also made it publicly known in the past that he would consider playing for the Chiefs, and teased at it potentially happening as recently as February 13.
Rumors swirled prior to the Super Bowl that Odell might be signed by the Chiefs, who were tending to injuries in their receiver room late in the postseason. But Kansas City never signed him despite a late January workout video showing Beckham closing in on 100% health.
Thanks to an all-around great performance by the Chiefs, Kansas City’s receivers only needed to tally 80 total receiving yards during the team’s Super Bowl LVII victory. Tight end Travis Kelce had more yardage than the entire receiver room (81) along with a touchdown, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes still threw three touchdown passes as part of his MVP performance despite managing just 182 yards through the air.
Odell’s private workout on Friday was to display that he is in fact fully healthy and ready to play football again after taking a year off to heal. So, if the Chiefs liked what they saw from Beckham during his workout, it’s possible they offer him a contract, likely an incentive-ladened one.
Odell Beckham Looking to Extend 9-Year NFL Career
Odell Beckham Jr entered the NFL as a first-round pick (12th overall) of the New York Giants in 2014. He gained national recognition for his incredible one-handed touchdown catch in primetime against the division rival Dallas Cowboys and has maintained a superstar status since then.
On this day in 2014, rookie WR Odell Beckham Jr made The Catch 🔥🤯
During his nine-year NFL career, Odell has five 1,000-yard seasons, 57 total touchdowns (1 rushing touchdown), was the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, a three-time Pro Bowler, and a Super Bowl LVI champion.
The last time he played in double-digit games during a season was in 2021-2022 with the Browns and Rams. During that season, he played in 14 games (six with the Browns, eight with the Rams) and registered 44 catches on 82 targets for 537 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference.
Twitter Reacts to Chiefs’ Interest in Odell Beckham Jr.
Twitter users reacted to the Chiefs’ interest in Odell Beckham Jr.
“Chiefs notorious for getting the last bit of juice out of players who look like they’re on the back end of their careers,” one Twitter user wrote.
@MahomeSZN chiefs notorious for getting the last bit of juice out of players who look like they’re on the back end of their careers
“He is a very good receiver, BUT the Chiefs do not need a disrupter,” another user wrote. “The team is a tight knit group. Keep [it] that way.”