Odell Beckham Jr. and Cleveland Browns: What we know about receiver’s future with team
has hit a critical point.
The drama intensified Tuesday, when the NFL trade deadline passed without the Browns dealing Beckham. Social-media drama centered around an Instagram video posted by Beckham’s father, Odell Beckham Sr., only added to the rift. In the video, Beckham Sr. highlighted the Browns’ missed opportunities in getting OBJ the ball.
On Wednesday, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said that Beckham was excused from practice with the team citing a noninjury-related personal matter. As of Wednesday, neither Stefanski nor quarterback Baker Mayfield had talked to Beckham, further highlighting the divide between the team and the three-time Pro Bowl receiver with a history of being a distraction.
What is Odell Beckham’s status with the Browns?
It seems very likely that the Browns are preparing to move on without Beckham, who is under contract for two more seasons but is not guaranteed any money after 2021.
An expected Super Bowl contender in the preseason, the Browns are among the most disappointing teams midway through the 2021 season. On Sunday, the Browns (4-4) play their AFC North rivals, the Bengals (5-3), on the road in Cincinnati. The Browns currently sit in last place in the AFC North.
OPINION:With AFC playoff race wide open, Browns shouldn’t part with Odell Beckham Jr. until 2022
MORE:What’s next for key NFL trade deadline figures?
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What happened on NFL trade deadline day?
On Tuesday, ESPN reported that Beckham no longer wanted to be with the Browns and the team was in trade discussions with the New Orleans Saints. However, the two teams could not reach an agreement, given how much Beckham is owed. This development came after Sunday’s 15-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, a game in which Beckham was targeted just twice, the receiver catching one pass for 6 yards.
Early in the morning on trade deadline day, Beckham Sr. posted a video to his verified Instagram account to point out how the Browns have failed to get the ball to OBJ. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James also offered his support for OBJ on Twitter, writing “OBJ will show again why he’s special. WR1 #FreeOBJ.”
Despite the social-media gasoline thrown onto the OBJ trade speculation, the NFL’s deadline came and went with Beckham still a member of the Browns.
the 49-38 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 4, 2020.Mayfield also did not rule out a reconciliation with Beckham.
“If he’s back, then we’ll work through it and do whatever it takes,” Mayfield said Wednesday. “I can put my ego and pride to the side to win because that’s all I care about.
“But if not, then we’ll roll with the guys we have out there, and those guys will know that I completely trust them and they’ll know that I’m always here for them. That’s the leader and that’s the type of quarterback I am.”
When asked if he’d like to have Beckham back with the team, Mayfield said he “would take anything to have a winning team right now.”
“Our focus needs to be on winning and anything like this, stuff that gets created on the outside drama-wise takes away the focus and the attention to detail that we need to have,” Mayfield said. “We haven’t been able to win because we haven’t executed well enough to be able to do that, and so I think a lot of this is frustration.
“It’s tension that’s built up because we’re not playing how we should be, and we want to be better. We want to be better than .500, but that’s where we’re at right now, so it’s time to look in the mirror and handle those things internally because nothing on the outside is going to help us. It’s only going to create drama.”
Contributing: Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal; The Associated Press