Odell Beckham Jr. is currently recovering from core muscle surgery, which he says hurt him “all year,” and the Cleveland Browns receiver is determined to bounce back.
Speaking with Complex Sports, Beckham said he “had a slice of humble pie this year, because I was hurt all year.”
He continued discussing his injury, and vowed to “put my best foot forward” as he comes back “more motivated now than ever” in 2020.
“I just couldn’t move the way that I wanted to, so I think that’s why I’m more motivated now than ever. This is probably day nine or 10 after surgery and I’m just starting to move around and just mentally get ready for the process all over again, and just put my best foot forward. So I don’t think there’s really changing anybody, but I definitely think you’ll see a more focused, improved version of himself. Not what someone else wants him to be. And myself as well next year.’’
Beckham also expressed optimism that 2020 will be a bounce-back year for him statistically after a substandard 2019 campaign, pointing to how new head coach Kevin Stefanski helped Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs excel with the Minnesota Vikings.
The Browns were one of the most hyped teams in the NFL prior to last season, thanks in large part to Beckham joining Jarvis Landry and Baker Mayfield in Cleveland via a trade from New York. They didn’t live up to the hype in 2019, but if Beckham can get healthy, and if Stefanski can be Mayfield’s quarterback whisperer, that can quickly change in 2020.