For the first time in 18 months, Odell Beckham Jr. is set to play professional football as the Ravens open training camp this week. The veteran wide receiver tore his ACL during the Super Bowl in 2022, and he missed all of last season recovering from the injury.
Following a long and winding free agency saga, Beckham said he is thrilled to finally return to the field.
“I’m excited. I’m excited. It’s been a long time having to sit out and watch other people and not get to play,” Beckham said, via the Ravens team website. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time.”
The last time Beckham played in a game, he won the biggest game of his life with the Rams for his first championship. However, that doesn’t mean the wide receiver isn’t any less motivated as he prepares to play again.
“I think I’ve always been like this, always looking to be motivated, looking to be great,” he said. “So I think at the end of the day, my story will be about resiliency and just being able to bounce back time after time.”
In 2021, Beckham played in 14 games for the Rams and Browns, totaling just 537 receiving yards and five touchdowns between the two teams. He is now four years removed from his last 1,000-yard season, having last passed that threshold in 2019 with Cleveland.
Beckham is one of many changes to the Ravens offense, as the team enters 2023 with a new offensive coordinator and several new offensive weapons for Lamar Jackson.
