Getty Image / Christian Petersen
Odell Beckham Jr had a tough year in 2022.
After tearing his ACL, during the Super Bowl while playing for the Los Angeles Rams, Beckham Jr hit free agency.
Unfortunately, the knee injury raised some serious questions about what teams would be getting if they signed him and he remained a free agent heading into the 2022 NFL season.
During the season, there were a few teams that showed interest in signing him, but it was unclear if he would be recovered in time to contribute to a team trying to make a playoff run.
He stayed unsigned until this year’s offseason. He once again received interest from a handful of teams around the league and ended up signing with the Baltimore Ravens.
It turns out he may have actually preferred to end up somewhere else.
Beckham Jr told The Athletic’s Dan Pompei that the Ravens weren’t his first choice when looking for a new team.
The Chiefs, Cowboys, Giants, Bills, and Jets wanted him. He was resistant to the Ravens. My story for @TheAthletic on how @obj came to be a Raven. https://t.co/p9DzhennLl
— Dan Pompei (@danpompei) July 24, 2023
“If I’m honest, I was resistant,” Beckham said. “There were other places I wanted to go. I wasn’t necessarily a Ravens fan because the Ravens always whipped my a**.”
There were definitely better options out there for Odell Beckham Jr if his goal is to produce elite stats again.
He had interest from teams like the Chiefs and Bills, who both throw the ball a whole lot more than the Ravens. Even the Giants might have been a better option since he could have been their top option.
With the Baltimore Ravens, Beckham Jr will be fighting Mark Andrews, Rashod Bateman, and Zay Flowers for targets on a team that has been one of the NFL’s most run-heavy offenses for the last few years with a quarterback whose career high in passing yards is 3127.
There has been talk of the Ravens trying to speed themselves up and throw the ball more, but there will be need to be some big changes from the team if they are going to end up being the right choice for the former All-Pro receiver.