Taking his time during his latest go-round in free agency, Odell Beckham Jr. has received multiple offers. And the standout wide receiver has been most closely tied to the Jets, with Aaron Rodgers leading the charge to bring Beckham back to the Big Apple.
The Jets will take a closer look at OBJ soon. The eight-year veteran will head back to New York on Sunday night for a Monday visit, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports. Beckham spoke with teams — including the Jets — at last week’s league meetings, but this is believed to be his first free agency visit this year.
This visit will involve a physical, per SNY’s Connor Hughes. Considering the 30-year-old pass-catcher’s career stalled because the February 2022 ACL tear was his second in 16 months, the physical will be a critical part of this meet-and-greet. The sides have been discussing this visit for around three weeks, per ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini. Strong mutual interest exists here, Cimini adds.
Beckham’s 2022 crested with a three-visit December, but contract demands and the ACL tear suffered in Super Bowl LVI led to the former Giants Pro Bowler sitting out the season. The Jets were nowhere near the Beckham radar during his 2021 in-season free agency trip or his 2022 tour, but with Rodgers on track to be traded to the New York, the team with the league’s longest playoff drought may well be leading the pack to add OBJ in 2023.
Sunday will mark Beckham’s second official visit in New York since December. The Giants met with their former draftee at that point, and although OBJ gave his former team the first visit of that December tour, he met with the Bills and Cowboys as well. Dallas quickly became the clubhouse leader, with Jerry Jones leading the charge and publicly proclaiming Beckham would be a Cowboy. That did not happen, and Dallas has since traded for Brandin Cooks.
The Giants are still lurking here. John Mara indicated the door remains open despite Big Blue re-signing Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard and adding Parris Campbell and Jamison Crowder to its receiver mix. Rams brass also said OBJ returning to L.A. is a possibility, but after the 2022 offseason produced nonstop Beckham-Rams connections, the team’s conservative offseason has not produced nearly as many rumors on that front. The Ravens have made Beckham an offer, but it might be difficult for the three-time Pro Bowler to commit presently, given the uncertainty surrounding Baltimore’s quarterback situation. The Chiefs have also re-emerged on the Beckham radar, but the longstanding UFA wideout has been most closely linked to the Jets.
While the Jets do not have their presumptive starting QB on the roster yet, Rodgers has long been expected to be traded to the AFC East squad. The Jets have been chasing Beckham for weeks, with Rodgers having encouraged the team to sign the player the Packers pursued in 2021. The Jets have been busy at receiver ahead of this visit, signing Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman and trading Elijah Moore to the Browns. If Beckham is to become a Jet, Corey Davis is likely to be released.
Beckham joining the Jets would give them an interesting receiver quartet, one that would feature three new pieces alongside Offensive Rookie of the Year Garrett Wilson. The Jets being perhaps in pole position in this derby continues an unusual offseason for the downtrodden club, but the impending Rodgers trade has understandably coincided with other roster-building additions. Lazard, Hardman and Chuck Clark are now in the fold.
Numbers will play the lead role in closing this elusive deal. Beckham has been vocal about his annoyance with previous offers. The Super Bowl injury crushed his 2022 market. That coupled with the October 2020 tear has undoubtedly cooled his 2023 prospects as well. The Jets hold just more than $9M in cap space, but their QB1 contract is not yet on the roster. Should Beckham’s health check out, however, a notable Jets offer will likely not be far behind.
