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Odell Beckham Jr's forced move from Cleveland earned him an extra $2 million and revived his career

Jan 31, 2022, 23:29 IST
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Odell Beckham Jr. has had a good three months in Los Angeles.Kohjiro Kinno/Sports Illustrated/Getty Images
  • Odell Beckham Jr. asked out Cleveland and signed with the Rams in November.
  • Beckham's career has been revived in LA, as he has 541 yards and 6 touchdowns in 11 games.
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Odell Beckham Jr.'s exit from Cleveland has worked out pretty well.

Since being waived by the Cleveland Browns on November 5, Beckham has moved to LA, made $2 million in playoff bonuses, and made a Super Bowl.

In early November, things between Beckham and the Browns had deteriorated. In Weeks 7 and 8, Beckham had totaled just three catches on 7 targets for 29 yards.

Beckham hadn't been the same difference-making player in Cleveland thanks to injuries and poor chemistry with Baker Mayfield. Over his final 13 games with the Browns, across the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Beckham had amassed just 40 catches for 551 yards and 3 touchdowns without logging a play longer than 43 yards.

Odell Beckham Jr.'s career stalled out in Cleveland.David Richard/AP Images

On the day of the NFL trade deadline, Beckham's father posted an 11-minute video titled "Odell Beckham Jr. is always open," showing plays where Beckham got open and was either not thrown the ball or received an off-target pass.

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According to Cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot, Beckham and his agent had asked for a trade multiple times.

Following the video's release, the Browns excused Beckham from practice that week as they weighed his future.

The Browns ultimately decided to release Beckham, restructuring his contract to make him less appealing to teams to claim off waivers, according to Cabot.

Sure enough, Beckham became a free agent and signed with the Rams.

Beckham's career has been revived in LA

Odell Beckham Jr.Mark J. Terrill/AP Images

Beckham and the Rams have proven to be a perfect match.

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In eight games with the Rams, Beckham posted 27 catches for 305 yards and 5 touchdowns, much greater production than he showed in his final two seasons with the Browns.

After telling reporters he was "deprived" of touchdowns in Cleveland, Beckham became a red-zone weapon for Matthew Stafford.

Things have only gotten better for Beckham in the playoffs.

Over three playoff games, Beckham already has 19 catches, 236 yards, and a touchdown. He had several pivotal fourth-quarter catches in the NFC Championship win over the 49ers.

Beckham still has explosive plays in him, even if they're less frequent than his days with the New York Giants. Beckham has no problem creating separation or finding holes in the defense for big plays.

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His production has helped the Rams advance to the Super Bowl, which has also been beneficial for Beckham's bank account. According to ESPN's Field Yates, Beckham has made $2 million in playoff bonuses in this postseason run and will have another $1 million at stake if the Rams can beat the Cincinnati Bengals.

Beckham's production has almost certainly helped his long-term financial prospects, too. Beckham is a free agent next year and seems much more likely to command a multi-year, eight-figure contract than he did while was languishing in Cleveland.

After advancing to the Super Bowl on Sunday, Beckham told ESPN in a postgame interview that he foresaw making the Super Bowl this year — he just had no idea he'd do it with the Rams.

"I'm trying to just live in the moment and not get too far ahead thinking about [the Super Bowl]," Beckham said. "It doesn't mean anything unless we go do it. So enjoy this moment right now.

"I stayed down. I stayed prayed up. I told somebody I was going to be playing in the Super Bowl in LA. I didn't know I was going to be a Ram. God is good."

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