The Baltimore Ravens gave their wide receiver group a much-needed shakeup Sunday, agreeing to a contract with Odell Beckham Jr.
Beckham agreed on a one-year deal worth up to $18 million including $15 million guaranteed, a person familiar with the deal told the AP. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract hadn’t been officially signed.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. walks on the sideline during a NFL divisional playoff football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Jan. 23, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Menendez, File)
The 30-year-old Beckham did not play last season following ACL surgery. He now joins a Baltimore team with a quarterback situation that is still quite uncertain. The Ravens used the franchise tag on Lamar Jackson, who has asked to be traded.
Even with Jackson, the Ravens’ passing game was limited by a lack of production from their wide receivers. Rashod Bateman played only six games last season, and aside from tight end Mark Andrews, no Baltimore player managed even 500 yards receiving.
Beckham has five 1,000-yard seasons, but none since 2019 with Cleveland. In his most recent season on the field in 2021, he caught 44 passes for 537 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games for the Browns and Rams.
He scored a touchdown in Los Angeles’ Super Bowl victory that season, although he also injured his knee in that game.
No matter who the quarterback is, when Beckham is at his best, he’s a major threat capable of producing dazzling highlights. Since debuting with the New York Giants in 2014, he has 531 catches for 7,367 yards and 56 TDs.
Beckham made the Pro Bowl his first three seasons. He’s one of three players in NFL history — along with Justin Jefferson and Michael Thomas — to reach 80 receptions and 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first three seasons.
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