The Los Angeles Rams might have a little conflict on their hands.
In April, running back Cam Akers announced that he was changing his jersey number from No. 23 to No. 3. The only possible issue with that is that was the number Odell Beckham Jr. wore with the Rams in the 2021 season. While Beckham’s still a free agent, he could still end up re-signing with Los Angeles – which would mean he’d have to find a new jersey number.
So, when Beckham saw that Akers was taking his old jersey number knowing that he could still play for the Rams, he didn’t appear to be too thrilled.
Beckham Appears to Not Be Amused By Akers’s Decision
Beckham took to Twitter to share his feelings on Akers taking his old number, suggesting that the running back could have made a deal with him so Beckham could have the number if he returned to Los Angeles.
“But I wouldaaaa gave him the Bread!!! And fkkk tht ima air Cam out ! We were in negotiations for it and he just stoppped responding to me! Yeaaaa I’m puttin him on blast cause he didn’t wanna text back,” Beckham wrote in a tweet.
@AdamSchefter But I wouldaaaa gave him the Bread!!! And fkkk tht ima air Cam out ! We were in negotiations for it and he just stoppped responding to me! Yeaaaa I’m puttin him on blast cause he didn’t wanna text back
When the NFL ended the jersey number restrictions for certain positions prior to the 2021 season, Akers wanted to switch his number then. However, the league required players to buy out the remaining inventory of jerseys with their old number before switching to their new number, which would’ve cost Akers $500,000, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
So, Akers put his jersey number switch on hold for a year. Beckham apparently knew that Akers would be getting the jersey No. 3 though in 2022 when he signed with the Rams in November, according to Schefter. If that’s the case, then Beckham might just be playing around on Twitter, like he’s been doing with 49ers star receiver Deebo Samuel recently. Beckham does have prior history of wearing No. 3 as it was his jersey number when he played at LSU.
Is Beckham Returning to Los Angeles?
Beckham potentially being upset by Akers taking his old jersey number would certainly suggest that a return to the Rams is at least still in play. However, there hasn’t been much news as of late on Beckham and where he could play next.
The 29-year-old had successful surgery on his left knee after he tore it in a second straight year during the Rams’ Super Bowl win over the Bengals in February.
As a matter of fact, Beckham’s surgery this time around appears to have gone much better than the same surgery he had in 2020 when he tore his ACL with the Browns.
“When Odell tore his ACL with the Browns the surgery didn’t go as well as anyone had hoped.” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said on “The Pat McAfee Show” in April. “This past surgery went really well and probably will extend his career.”
“When Odell tore his ACL with the Browns the surgery didn’t go as well as anyone had hoped.. this past surgery went really well & probably will extend his career” ~@RapSheet
Despite the positive news around his surgery, Beckham isn’t expected to return to action until November, according to Rapoport.
The Rams have displayed some public interest in bringing back Beckham. In March, general manager Les Snead wasn’t shy about wanting the star receiver back in Los Angeles.
“He’s someone that we definitely want back,” Snead told reporters then. “A little bit more complex situation based on the injury. We envision it being similar but different circumstances to last year. When Odell is ready to play, we’d appreciate him being part of (the Rams).”
Quarterback Matthew Stafford shared that he’s also been trying to get Beckham to return, too.
“I’ve been in contact with him, both checking on his knee, his new addition to his family, and just letting him know that we’d love to still have him,” Stafford said during an ESPN interview in April. “It was an unbelievable blessing to get the chance to play with a talented player like that and honestly, such a great teammate. He was awesome from the second he stepped into our facility, which was a tough situation to learn as much as he had to learn as quickly as he did. It was really impressive to watch him go out there and do his thing and hopefully we get some more time together.”
The Rams have made some moves at receiver already this offseason. While they didn’t add any receivers during the draft, they signed veteran Allen Robinson to a three-year deal in March. After signing Robinson, they shipped Robert Woods out in a trade to the Titans.
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Odell Beckham Jr. Appears to Be Upset With Rams Player Over Jersey Number