Matthew Stafford Wants To Reunite With Star Receiver

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Matthew Stafford and Odell Beckham Jr. had good success in their one year together.

Odell Beckham Jr. is still a free agent after he was the hero no one expected during the Los Angeles Rams‘ run to win Super Bowl LVI.

After an underwhelming three seasons with the Browns, Beckham had a career resurgence when he joined the Rams in November of the 2021 season. He caught 69 passes for 593 yards and seven touchdowns over 12 regular season and playoff games with Los Angeles.

But Beckham, who’s 30, tore the ACL in his left knee for a second time in two seasons during the Super Bowl LVI win, which likely hampered what would have been a robust free-agent market for him.

As he remains unsigned, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is hoping to run it back with the star receiver.

Stafford’s Been Keeping Contact With Beckham

In an interview on “SportsCenter,” Stafford shared how much he’d like for Beckham to return to Los Angeles.

“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. “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 Stafford-to-Beckham connection seemed natural from the jump. Beckham slotted right into the spot occupied by Robert Woods, who tore his ACL the day after Beckham agreed to join the Rams. In their first three games together, Stafford targeted Beckham 18 times, completing nine passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns.

The connection between the two only grew as the season went on, and during the playoffs, Beckham ended up having 21 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns (including one during the Super Bowl) over four games.

Los Angeles already made a contingency plan though in the event Beckham doesn’t return. The Rams signed star receiver Allen Robinson to a three-year deal in March. While they traded Woods, the Rams still have Cooper Kupp, who is the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, and Van Jefferson, who looks like a prime candidate to have a breakout season in his third year in the league.

The latest on Beckham

Beckham likely won’t be ready to play by the start of the season. The star receiver isn’t expected to return until early November, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. However, there is some good news for Beckham’s long-term health following another major surgery.

“When Odell tore his ACL with the Browns the surgery didn’t go as well as anyone had hoped..” Rapoport said on “The Pat McAfee Show” earlier in April. “This past surgery went really well and probably will extend his career.”

In the same interview, Rapoport said that Beckham returning to the Rams is “the most likely scenario” but that it isn’t a “slam dunk.” The Patriots have also shown interest in Beckham, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.