The race to sign Odell Beckham Jr is one of the most intriguing storylines yet to play out in the 2022 NFL season, but his next team is no longer likely to be the Dallas Cowboys.
Excitement in the Lone Star State reached fever pitch in recent weeks with the Cowboys very vocal about their desire to add another superstar to a team already loaded with them.
But when Beckham Jr visited with Dallas last week he failed to leave with a contract offer and reports suggested he would not be ready to return from that torn ACL until the NFL playoffs in January.
Now the Cowboys appear to have decided to go in a different direction by signing 33-year-old former Indianapolis Colts WR T.Y. Hilton. He joined the team Monday and will add further depth for what they hope will be a Super Bowl run.
Dallas is currently 10-3 and on the brink of moving into the postseason, and on a four-game win streak. The Cowboys had tried to add a veteran receiver before the trade deadline with Houston’s Brandin Cooks and Denver’s Jerry Jeudy both reportedly targets. But those moves came to nothing, and ultimately the team’s high-profile pursuit of OBJ ended the same way.
Which teams are trying to sign Odell Beckham JR?
Okay so not many teams now who are likely in the hunt, or who it at least makes sense for:
- Buffalo Bills (10-3) – This just would not be fair. The red-hot Super Bowl favorite, which already has Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis in the house, adding another terrific receiver. Come on…Anyway Beckham Jr has visited with the Bills so watch this space.
- Kansas City Chiefs (10-3) – The second favorite in the Super Bowl odds and also loading up in the arms race for Glendale in February. Recently traded for former Giants WR Kadarius Toney, but has reportedly shown interest in Beckham too.
- New York Giants (7-5-1) – Have one just one of their last 6 games since a surprising 6-1 start. This would make sense for them, but would it make sense for Beckham? He would be coming home to his first pro team, but hardly likely to a Super Bowl contender.
Where does OBJ want to sign?
So this apparently is not so much about location, it’s more about love.
After a disappointing spell in Cleveland and then a short-term rental in Los Angeles, the 30-year-old Beckham reportedly wants a multi-year contract and somewhere he can put down roots for the remainder of a career which might one day take him to the Hall of Fame.
That desire to put down some more permanent roots likely comes from Beckham’s personal situation too. He and girlfriend Lauren Wood welcomed their first child – Zydn Beckham – into the world just days after that Super Bowl win in February.
Odell Beckham Jr Stats
Since being drafted in Round 1 by the Giants back in 2014 out of LSU, Beckham has been a real stud in the pros. But there have been down times as well (notably that spell in Cleveland).
Overall Beckham has played in 96 games, catching 531 balls for 7367 yards at an average of 13.9 yards a pop. He has 56 career touchdowns.
The most relevant stats for potential suitors right now (apart from the lowdown on his surgically-repaired ACL) are those from 2021 with the Rams. In eight games with L.A. he caught 27 balls for 305 yards and 5 TDs. His addition though following the season-ending injury to Robert Woods proved crucial in that Super Bowl run.
OBJ Contract: How much will he cost?
Beckham Jr took a pretty cheap deal to join the Rams midseason in 2021 It was $1.25million guaranteed, with $3million in incentives. And guess what, he aced them all.
The likelihood is he’ll cost more this time around, and as we said, he wants a multi-year deal.
At the age of 30 this might be his last shot at a big-money deal, so he will want to make the most of it.
Our friends at Spotrac believe he will command something like $13.1million APY for a two-year deal.