Wide Receiver OBJ Running Out of Suitors

Odell Beckham Jr. may be the last person at the dance without a partner. With the Dallas Cowboys recently acquiring T.Y. Hilton and the Buffalo Bills luring Cole Beasley out of retirement, two of the Super Bowl LVI champion's most ardent suitors suddenly no longer have a need at wide receiver.

Free-agent WR Odell Beckham Jr. visited three teams over the past couple weeks. Two of them — the #Cowboys (T.Y. Hilton) and #Bills (Cole Beasley) — have now signed other veteran receivers who are ready, willing and able to play in the regular season.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 13, 2022

Beckham recently declared he "didn't see the point" of playing in the regular season. He may get his wish, but it also appears likely to cost him a chance at playing in the playoffs. Of the teams most frequently linked to him, the Cowboys and the Bills were the likeliest to play deep into the postseason. The New York Giants still have a shot, but it's growing fainter. The Los Angeles Rams are eliminated.

Beckham tragically tore his ACL in Super Bowl LVI in February of this year, but he's been flirting with a return for much of this season. Clearly, his recovery hasn't allowed for as speedy a return as he hoped. He previously tore the same ACL in 2020.  

At this rate, Beckham's best shot at contributing meaningful snaps this year would be as an emergency injury replacement for a contending team. Even that wouldn't be terribly realistic, as he would at least need a few weeks to learn the playbook and get up to speed. With each passing day, it appears more and more likely he'll have to wait until next year to prove he can still play. It could be even longer than that until he sees a contract to his liking. 

Photo Credit: © Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports