Multiple NFL executives tell Albert Breer that Odell Beckham Jr. isn’t the same player he used to be.
The Miami Dolphins signed former three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to a one-year contract last week, much to the delight of many fans of the South Florida NFL franchise. The proverbial cherry on top of the announcement came when it was announced that Beckham’s base pay for the season is just $3 million.
Writing in his MMQB column for Sports Illustrated on Monday morning (hence the name of the column), Albert Breer discussed with multiple NFL executives why Beckham’s low base pay is an indicator of where the 31-year-old receiver currently is in his career.
Last season, the Baltimore Ravens signed the man nicknamed OBJ to a deal that had a base-pay value of $15 million. The Dolphins inked Beckham for 20% of that number.
One anonymous executive told Breer that “it’s clear — at least to him — that the former All-Pro, after a decade in the league and with his 32nd birthday coming in November, has lost his burst.”
Another anonymous executive — this time of an AFC squad — said, “I don’t know if I agree that he’s lost it so much as that he’s just older, and that’s what the market says on older players. He’s not always healthy, which is part of that. By the end of last year, he looked good, his legs were back. Now, does he need to play himself back into shape?”
The executive would go on to say that when Beckham played himself into shape with the Ravens last year, “his burst came back, and he could still do a lot of the normal OBJ stuff.”
Breer would continue to dump cold water on the signing by pointing out that last season in Baltimore, OBJ mustered just 35 receptions for 565 yards and a mere three touchdowns before closing his thoughts on Beckham by saying, “Now that’s not to say that he can’t help Miami. He’s different than Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and his ability to be a physical run-after-catch receiver is still there.”
Time will tell if the Dolphins did the right thing by bringing in Odell Beckham Jr. for the 2024 season. Can he be the perfect wide-receiver-three for Head Coach Mike McDaniel’s high-powered offense? The NFL’s regular season kicks off in just about four months, so we still have plenty of time to speculate on that.
To read Breer’s entire column, click here.
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