Getty Ex-Giants star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams.
It’s official: Former New York Giants superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has selected his new destination.
He has decided to take his talents to Hollywood, signing a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
And it is, as expected, a one-year deal between Odell Beckham Jr. and the Rams, per source.
Although there was some late-drama tied to which team he would choose between the Rams and Green Bay Packers, Beckham ultimately opted to head out west to join Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay.
With Stafford commanding the huddle, Beckham will be his newest weapon on an already dangerous offense that ranks fourth in the NFL in points (29) and total yards (399.3) per game.
They also have the third-best passing offense in the league with 296.3 yards through the air per week. And Stafford, who was traded to the Rams in the offseason, is off to a great start with his new team, throwing for 2,771 yards and 23 touchdowns through the first nine games of the regular season.
Along with Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, Beckham gives Stafford another explosive target to throw to in the passing game.
The Giants shockingly traded Beckham to the Cleveland Browns in a blockbuster deal back in March of 2019. But things never worked out for him in Cleveland and he became so disgruntled, specifically with quarterback Baker Mayfield’s inability to get him the ball, that those close to Beckham made it clear that he wanted a trade, before he was eventually released.
Beckham was placed on waivers but went unclaimed due to being owed $7.25 million this season. He instead became a free agent and made it known of his desire to join a contender.
Well, now he gets his wish as the latest addition to the Rams, who are 7-2 and hold the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoff picture. They are also only a game back of the 8-1 Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West.
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Beckham’s Wish Comes True
Leading up to his ugly exit with the Giants several years ago, Beckham ironically mentioned his love for Los Angeles.
Beckham, who lives in L.A. during the offseason, told NFL Insider Josina Anderson that he was unsure if he was happy in New York at the time, despite signing a record contract extension for five-years, $95 million with the Giants just a few months prior.
“Obviously, I love seeing the sunshine all the time. I love, you know, I love being in L.A. I just like that atmosphere, but this is where I’m at,” said Beckham. “I remember before games, I used to get that. I used to get butterflies, like good butterflies. I was anxious. And now when I step on the field, it’s something completely different. It’s not butterflies.”
This of course, was the infamous interview with ESPN, where Beckham sat next to rap star Lil Wayne and openly criticized the Giants’ usage of him, as well as then quarterback Eli Manning’s play. As most individuals believe, this was the final straw that led to the Giants’ decision to trade him to the Browns after the 2018 season.
Beckham initially burst onto the scene as a rookie when he made his famously spectacular one-handed snag against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in 2014.
And from then on, the legend continued to grow. While playing for the Giants from 2014-2018, Beckham was one of the best wide receivers in the league, accumulating 390 receptions for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns in 59 games. He was also the 2014 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and went onto become a two-time Second-Team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler.
But upon arriving to Cleveland, things never really panned out from the get-go, which was mainly due to his lack of chemistry with Mayfield.
Beckham suffered a torn ACL in 2020, which was his second season with the Browns. And since making his return to the gridiron this year, he has basically been a non-factor. In six games, Beckham caught 17 passes for 232 yards and no touchdowns this season.
Now, his wish comes true as he will get to play for the Los Angeles Rams for at least the remainder of the season.
The Assist From Dad
This time around, instead of airing his grievances on his own, as he has often done in the past, Beckham let NBA superstar Lebron James, and his father, Odell Beckham Sr. do the talking for him.
Beckham Sr. initially stirred things up when he posted a fan-made lowlight clip to his personal Instagram page, which showed Mayfield missing his wide-open son on numerous occasions between Weeks 3-6 of this season.
Beckham’s father posted this clip on the morning of the Nov. 2 NFL trade deadline, hoping it would lead to the Browns sending his son elsewhere. But when the Browns were unable to move his bloated contract, they opted to release him.
As for Lebron, he tweeted out: “#FreeOBJ.” And went onto also tweet: “OBJ will show again why he’s special. WR1 #FreeOBJ.”
After a long and drawn out saga, Beckham will now get to play for a legitimate Super Bowl contender who just got even stronger.