When the Baltimore Ravens signed veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to a one-year deal worth up to $18 million in the offseason, it was unknown what kind of player the Ravens would get.
The then 30-year-old receiver had missed the entirety of the 2022 NFL season with a knee injury that knocked him out of Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams. However, Baltimore decided to take a chance on the once All-Pro, hoping that Beckham could be the missing piece of a passing attack that had struggled to lure in notable wide receivers in recent years, instead having to rely on mixed results at the position through the draft.
Signing Beckham was also a possible olive branch to quarterback Lamar Jackson during ongoing contract negotiations that were seemingly heading nowhere after years of little progress and with the quarterback now under the non-exclusive franchise tag. Jackson signed a five-year contract worth $260 million a little over a month after the team signed Beckham.
The 2023 season did not get the start the veteran receiver was hoping for with his new team. In just the second game of the season, Beckham suffered an ankle injury and had to leave the contest early in the team’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Beckham then missed the next two games against the Indianapolis Colts and Cleveland Browns.
Beckham returned to the field for Baltimore’s matchup with the Tennessee Titans in London in Week 6. The next few weeks were up-and-down for him, culminating in visible frustration after a zero-catch game in a win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 8. Beckham was seen slamming his helmet on the sidelines following a defensive pass interference that prevented him from catching his first touchdown of the season.
It was safe to say that the Ravens’ big-ticket signing was not going to plan to this point in the season. However, things began to look up the following week as Beckham finally found the endzone in a blowout win over the Seattle Seahawks, as backup quarterback Tyler Huntley connected with him near the end of the game for the touchdown.
.@OBJ scores his first TD with the @Ravens on his birthday!
📺: #SEAvsBAL on CBS
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/d4RDZpcMkc pic.twitter.com/lerdCwq4y0— NFL (@NFL) November 5, 2023
The following week against his former team, the Browns, Beckham scored again, this time on a 40-yard catch and run, showing that he still had some juice left in the tank. While Baltimore lost the game to Cleveland, it was clear that Beckham was beginning to turn a corner.
HIM
Tune in on FOX! pic.twitter.com/M02VhpC516
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) November 12, 2023
Following their disappointing loss to the Browns, the Ravens had a quick turnaround to face the Bengals on Thursday Night Football. Beckham has often shined the most under the brightest spotlights throughout his career, whether with the New York Giants early on or with the Rams in the playoffs and Super Bowl.
That was no different against Cincinnati. In a pivotal division game, Beckham exploded for his best performance of the season, crossing 100 receiving yards for the first time since the 2021 NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers. Beckham finished the game with four catches for 116 yards.
Before the start of the game, Beckham spoke with CBS Sport’s Josina Anderson, opening up about his struggles early in the season and the injury that sidelined him for multiple games.
“When I was hurt in the beginning of the year, I didn’t have my initial burst or push-off,” Beckham said, according to Anderson. “One thing I was thankful for, is that when I was hurting bad, the fact that the Ravens were like this is a long season, we’re going to need you and to have that conversation as a man, team and unit and discuss pulling me out that game; I think that could’ve saved my career at that point because I just was not feeling good. I think I’m finally getting my legs underneath me, and I feel good again. Now it’s about hopefully having an opportunity to have more impact plays on the backend of the season and doing what I can to help this team win and get back to the Super Bowl.”
Following the season-ending ankle injury to tight end Mark Andrews in the win over the Bengals, Beckham will be relied upon more as a focal point of Baltimore’s passing attack as they head into the final stretch of the season and the playoffs.
