Getty Matthew Stafford throws the ball downfield on December 3, 2023 versus the Browns.
Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium will hold a rare Super Bowl 56 reunion for the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, December 10.
Odell Beckham will be on the field. But this time for the Baltimore Ravens. He’s fully healthy from his horrific ACL tear from that February 2022 day in Inglewood. And the last quarterback to feed him the football is going to be on the other sideline.
Matthew Stafford broke his silence on the idea of seeing “OBJ” again ahead of the pivotal interconference showdown.
Matthew Stafford Reveals if He’s Reached Out to Odell Beckham
Has Stafford hit Beckham’s line ahead of their anticipated reunion?
“Yes, I’ve talked to him this week,” Stafford revealed to reporters on Wednesday, December 6 in Thousand Oaks. “He texted me and (teammate Cooper) ‘Coop’ (Kupp) the other day. We’ve been chatting it up.”
While the pleasantries have been exchanged between the Super Bowl winning teammates, there’s still the thought of facing him this time.
“But what’s it like playing against him? I mean, I just know from being in the same locker room with him and in the huddle with him how special of a player he is,” Stafford said.
Stafford notices a more agile Beckham in watching him as a Raven.
“He’s done some great stuff this year. He’s moving around great right now,” Stafford said. “We watched some crossover tape when we were watching the [Cleveland] Browns stuff and took a slant to the house for 40 or 50 yards, whatever it was, and it looked like he was moving great.”
It’s already going to be a challenge seeing “OBJ” in a different uniform for the first time. But that’s not the only challenge Stafford acknowledges.
“He’s a big challenge for our team, like he is the rest of the players on their offense,” Stafford said. “They got a bunch of good players, guys that are explosive guys. Starts with their quarterback who plays at a high level and trickles down so big challenge for us.”
Beckham has 27 catches for 408 yards and two touchdowns playing with Lamar Jackson. OBJ, Jackson and the Ravens are tied with the AFC’s best mark at 9-3.
Sean McVay Weighs in on Facing Beckham
Sean McVay is another dealing with the emotions of helping game plan against Beckham.
Like Stafford, he’s another who reaches out to the former Ram.
“Yeah, I keep in touch. I love Odell. He sure means a lot to me. It was a blessing to be able to coach him and he’s as fun a guy as there is,” McVay said Wednesday. “He’s so talented. He works hard. He’s a great teammate.”
McVay recalls the time Beckham’s personality lifted the morale of the Rams in 2021.
“The ways that he elevated our program and what he meant to our team. And then because you appreciate the person so much, I always root for him…except for this week,” McVay said.
McVay is aiming for one new memory involving Beckham this time.
“I have a lot of good memories, a lot of good memories that he made some huge plays when we went back here in 2021 on a fourth down catch and then obviously being able to make the game-winning touchdown. But he’s on the bad guys this week so we’ll root for him after that,” he said.