Why is Odell Beckham Jr. still without a team?
The Dallas Cowboys were the big rumored team to be picking up OBJ, but in the end, they signed T.Y. Hilton instead. So what of OBJ?
After a very long and public push for the Cowboys to sign Odell Beckham Jr., they instead signed former Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton on Monday. As for Beckham, he remains an unsigned free agent.
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
As we enter Week 15 of the NFL, his likelihood of signing with a team before the season ends is getting smaller. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, “several NFL teams believe the 30-year-old wide receiver is now most likely to wait until the offseason” to sign with another team.
Several NFL teams believe Odell Beckham is leaning toward sitting out the rest of the year and gearing up for free agency in March, per sources.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) December 14, 2022
‘He’ll be the prize’ of the free agency receiver class, one executive said. https://t.co/jGmzrIuHEb
Beckham is still recovering from an ACL tear last season after winning the Super Bowl with the Rams, and he’s not expected to be fully ready to play until the playoffs. In that case, teams aren’t going to want to take the risk of starting him before he’s ready and risking another injury happening. It’s more likely he will secure a long-term deal in March.
Who will sign OBJ in the offseason?
Since the Cowboys and Bills decided not to sign Beckham and to instead sign other veteran receivers, it’s less likely they’ll be looking to him for the 2023 season anymore either. On the other hand, the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans, and New York Jets are all in need of a good receiver and could use a player like Beckham.