It's not exactly been the return to the NFL that Tom Brady will have been imaging for himself when he announced his intentions to play in his 23rd season after a 40-day retirement stint. But Odell Beckham Jr could be on the way to solve the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' season.
Coming off the back of one of the most impressive individual seasons in his legendary career, Brady surprised many when he confirmed that he would retire from the league after winning seven Super Bowl championships. His return to the Buccaneers would be without two key members from the previous though, with head coach Bruce Arians and Rob Gronkowski both announcing their respective retirements.
Still, the Buccaneers seemingly had plenty of offensive firepower going into the season, with superstar receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin remaining on the roster, as well as NFL All-Decade star Julio Jones joining alongside emerging talent Russell Gage.
But with the latter two failing to live up to expectations and Godwin returning from injury, the Buccaneers receivers have largely struggled throughout the season, with dropped catches marring their side in key situations through the first eight games in 2022.
And although their receivers are now all back healthy and looking to make the step up, Brady could look to add a fifth, potential game-changing name to the mix in Beckham Jr.
NFL reporter Albert Breer has reported that four teams have contacted Beckham regarding his availability, with the Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills and Buccaneers all 'touching base' on him with an update on his injury status.
Beckham remains unsigned after rupturing his ACL in last year's Super Bowl victory with the Rams over the Cincinnati Bengals. Beckham was linked with a return to LA, but was disappointed with the offer received to remain with the team.
It may be some time until we see Beckham back on the field though, with news emerging that teams may have to wait until mid-December for him to be cleared to play.
He was reportedly cleared for all-contact practice, but latest reports suggest a full return is some time away.
Beckham Jr. was also strongly linked to a move to the Kansas City Chiefs, however, they are now deemed as an unlikely landing spot after trading for 2021 first-round pick Kadarius Toney from the New York Giants.
