Sean McVay took a chance on Odell Beckham Jr. in 2021 after the Cleveland Browns cut him. At the time, Beckham had just 232 yards in six games with the Browns, scoring zero touchdowns that season.
In Los Angeles, Beckham would go on to score five regular-season touchdowns and two in the playoffs, including the opening score in the Super Bowl. It got Beckham’s career back on track, at least until he unfortunately tore his ACL in the biggest game of his life.
Beckham is now with the Ravens, but McVay still has a ton of love for the star receiver from their time together in L.A. He roots for him every week, except for this one; the Rams visit the Ravens on Sunday afternoon in a crucial Week 14 matchup.
“Yeah, I keep in touch. I love Odell. He sure means a lot to me,” McVay said Wednesday. “It was a blessing to be able to coach him and he’s as fun a guy as there is. He’s so talented. He works hard. He’s a great teammate. The ways that he elevated our program and what he meant to our team. And then because you appreciate the person so much, I always root for him except for this week. I have a lot of good memories, a lot of good memories that he made some huge plays when we went back here in 2021 on a fourth down catch and then obviously being able to make the game-winning touchdown. But he’s on the bad guys this week so we’ll root for him after that.”
Beckham had equally great things to say about McVay during his media session on Wednesday, calling his stint with the Rams “one of the best things” that’s ever happened to him. His love for the Rams goes beyond just winning the Super Bowl, too.
He appreciated McVay as a coach and the players he shared a locker room with, who he still keeps in touch with two years later.
“He kind if was the person who – the whole situation and organization brought me back to loving and having joy for football and understanding true professionalism and being prepared,” Beckham said of McVay and the Rams. “It was just a great experience for me, alongside winning a Super Bowl. Overall, it was one of the best things that’s happened in my life.”
Beckham didn’t win a game with the Rams until his third week with the team, losing his first two starts with Los Angeles. It was part of a no-win November for the Rams, but Beckham couldn’t help but appreciate the way McVay kept everyone on track and focused despite some in-season struggles.
“I think McVay does an incredible job. I remember even the month of November, they lost,” Beckham said. “We, at the time, had lost three games in a row, and I watched him never waver. I’ve seen some coaches lose, and you see a completely different person, so that’s always been my biggest compliment about him. He knows, for sure. Publicly, I’ve spoken about him. I have nothing but the utmost love and respect for him and that place over there and those people.”
It’s disappointing that Beckham’s time with the Rams lasted only half a season, with Odell missing the entire 2022 campaign due to his knee injury, but his impact on Los Angeles was so significant that it helped the organization win a Super Bowl.
