Getty The Athletic's Mike DeFabo named Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. one of the top wide receiver options for head coach Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers in NFL free agency.
The Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran receiver Van Jefferson, but they very likely aren’t done adding to the wideout room. Pittsburgh’s top free agent wide receiver target appears to be Cincinnati Bengals veteran Tyler Boyd. But if Boyd signs elsewhere, another rival wideout could become a target for Pittsburgh — Odell Beckham Jr.
The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo listed Beckham among the other top free agent options for the Steelers at wide receiver.
The Steelers have already signed two former Baltimore Ravens players this offseason in linebacker Patrick Queen and safety DeShone Elliott. But adding a third from the AFC’s No. 1 seed in 2023 to take away a top receiving threat from a division rival makes a lot of sense.
Beckham only caught 35 passes in 2023, but he made the most of his opportunities. He recorded 565 receiving yards, averaging a career-best 16.1 yards per reception. He also scored 3 touchdowns and had a major impact on the locker room.
“The Ravens loved what he brought to the team, and he mostly delivered when given opportunities,” wrote The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebeic.
Beckham finished second for Baltimore in receiving yards. The Steelers are looking for a No. 2 receiver to support George Pickens after trading away Diontae Johnson on March 12.
Could Steelers Sign WR Odell Beckham Jr.?
Beckham hasn’t been the All-Pro or Pro Bowl type player he was with the New York Giants in quite some time. As a rookie, he led the NFL with 108.8 receiving yards per game, but that was 10 years ago.
In 2023, though, Beckham proved again that he can still be a serviceable receiver on a winning team. With a 16.1 yards per catch average, Beckham posted more than 15 yards per reception last season for the first time since 2015.
During 2015, Beckham recorded a career-high 1,450 receiving yards with 13 touchdowns.
The question entering 2024 is whether Beckham can be counted on again for that kind of efficiency and production at 31 years old. Beckham has also been through quite a few injuries over the past few seasons.
Even though he was healthy last season, that could be a concern for NFL teams potentially targeting Beckham in free agency. He hasn’t played 14 games in back-to-back seasons since 2015-16.
The Steelers, though, need some type of veteran receiving presence to pair with Pickens. Jefferson is currently Pittsburgh’s No. 2 receiver based on 2023 production, and he only had 20 catches for 209 receiving yards last season.
Will Previous Mike Tomlin Comment Impact Beckham’s Potential Interest in Steelers?
Assuming the Steelers could actually be interested in signing Beckham, it will be intriguing to see if Mike Tomlin’s apparent troll of Beckham in 2019 could impact the receiver’s interest in coming to Pittsburgh.
During an interview in July 2019, Tomlin pretended to fake yawn when asked about having to face Beckham twice a year after he joined the Cleveland Browns.
Lost tape from our Tomlin interview in Va. in July: Tomlin gives the yawn hand sign when I ask him about facing Odell Beckham twice a year. The message? We face great players often.
In November 2019, Beckham told The Cleveland Plain-Dealer he felt disrespected over the “fake yawn.”
Beckham added that he addressed Tomlin about the “disrespect.”
“I said ‘you disrespected me,’” Beckham said. “I said ‘you know who I am.’ And he said ‘I know who you are. That’s why we’re doubling you all game’ and this and that.
“We were just talking. There’s never been no beef with me and no coach. We were just talking s***.”
Given that Tomlin’s “fake-yawn” interview was nearly five years ago, perhaps it won’t be a crucial point for Beckham this offseason. The receiver and coach may have put the beef to rest during the 2019 matchup.
If Beckham still holds a grudge, a superior money offer from the Steelers could officially end any remaining bad blood.