It’s been just over three months since millions of spectators witnessed Odell Beckham Jr. tear his ACL in the biggest game of his life during Super Bowl LVI.
In most cases, when a star player suffers a serious injury that can be recovered from after several months of rehab, it’s not a huge deal, they generally have a contract in place, and the team is hoping for a quick recovery.
That wasn’t the situation for OBJ at all.
He already was set to become an unrestricted free agent, leaving him with no future financial security, yet needing to find a way to recover from a serious injury on his own.
Not exactly ideal.
OBJ’s free agent market has been cold, but there’s hope for Rams fans
With Odell Beckham Jr. hitting free agency at the same time as everyone else on March 16, he’s had the same opportunities to latch on with a franchise.
Only, his injury has likely complicated matters in the eyes of NFL decision-makers.
Teams know if they signed OBJ, he likely won’t be available for a full 17-game season. They don’t even know when he’ll be able to practice with the team.
This could be the biggest reason for his market being so slow to develop, but as he and the Los Angeles Rams have maintained all along, there’s hope for a reunion in 2022.
As Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson recently noted on the ‘You Pod to Win the Game‘ podcast, there’s continued belief in the Rams’ ability to sign OBJ for the start of this upcoming season.
“Odell, I still think…I personally believe the Rams are going to get that done eventually. They are just taking their time with it.”
Charles Robinson on Odell Beckham Jr. likely re-signing with Los Angeles Rams
This offseason has seen the Rams trade Robert Woods while signing Allen Robinson to a three-year, $46 million contract, but the expectation all along is for OBJ to still have a roster spot once he’s healthy to compete.
Beckham came to the Rams after a disappointing tenure with the Cleveland Browns which saw his star begin to fade. Once he arrived in LA, OBJ nearly became a star again overnight, peaking in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers with a nine-catch, 113-yard day, before adding a touchdown in his next test, coming in Super Bowl LVI.
Now with Beckham on the comeback trail, there are likely several teams interested in adding a talent like OBJ to their depth chart, but that interest may not be mutually reciprocated from Beckham’s perspective, as he appeared to enjoy his time with the Rams.
If signed, Beckham would likely become the third offensive option for Matthew Stafford, slotting behind Cooper Kupp and Robinson. For the Rams who already know OBJ is a chemistry fit who flourishes within the offense, it could be a perfect match once again.
Related: Baker Mayfield’s support in Browns locker room ‘poisoned’ after Odell Beckham, Jr.’s release