Getty Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
When all was said and done, star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. inked a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams — per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport — after being released by the Cleveland Browns on Monday, November 8.
Beckham’s deal with Los Angeles is for $4.25 million, which may seem cheap, but allows him to also earn some of the money he had left behind in Cleveland.
He now joins Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and Darrel Henderson in a high-powered offense coupled with a defense that just traded for pass rusher Von Miller the week prior. The Rams were already Super Bowl contenders before they made two blockbuster moves. Now, they may be even more suited to win it all.
So, with Beckham going out to the West Coast, there are a few teams he left in the dust during his short free-agency stint, one being the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Tyrann Mathieu Reacts to Odell’s Decision
After the news broke of Beckham’s decision to sign with Los Angeles, Chiefs safety and All-Pro Tyrann Mathieu took to Twitter to react to the Rams acquiring the veteran receiver.
“Where the rams finding all this money,” wrote Damien Wilson on Twitter.
🔵where the rams finding all this money
This is when Mathieu chimed in.
“Owner married to wal mart lady… plenty money to go around haha,” Mathieu wrote.
The Rams are owned by Stan Kroenke, owner of Kroenke Sports & Entertainment and of teams in the NFL, NHL, MLS, National Lacrosse League, and English Premier League. Overall — he’s a billionaire businessman. His wife — Ann Walton Kroenke — is the heiress to the Walmart fortune.
So, Mathieu’s lone comment on Twitter regarding the Beckham trade is just him sharing facts.
Mathieu on Odell Joining Chiefs
Mathieu was asked about the prospect of Beckham joining the defending AFC champions during his press conference on Thursday, November 11.
“I don’t know if I’m necessarily campaigning, but anytime you can add talent to the team, that always benefits and helps the whole team,” Mathieu said when asked how much he has been campaigning for Odell to join the Chiefs. “Obviously, just from a personal perspective, just want him in the best situation possible going forward and hoping that whatever ends up for him, it could bring out the best in him.”
Mathieu and Beckham shared the field together at LSU during the 2011 season. They were drafted to the NFL a year apart, but they have still maintained their friendship over the years.
“I mean, we pretty much talk all the time, back and forth,” Mathieu said of his communication with Odell. “Rarely is it ever about football, but nah, we haven’t really spoke on [Beckham joining Kansas City].”
The Chiefs have now missed out on Juju Smith-Schuster, DeSean Jackson, and Beckham since the end of the 2020-21 season. While a lack of enthusiasm from the locker room to accept outside help and coerce high-profile free agents to the team could be the issue, the struggles of the 5-4 Chiefs could also be why guys like Beckham went elsewhere with their talent.
With Beckham’s services being utilized elsewhere, Kansas City will continue to rely on guys like Mecole Hardman (38 receptions, 372 yards, one touchdown, five fumbles) and Josh Gordon (four targets, one reception, 11 yards) to eat most of the targets after Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce are fed.
Hopefully, who they have is enough to kickstart a Chiefs offense that has been stagnant for a better part of the season.