Odell Beckham Jr. reveals how close he was to returning last season

Baltimore Ravens receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is just days away from making his return after sitting out the 2022 season while recovering from an ACL injury. He tore his ACL in the Super Bowl in 2021, but on the bright side, he finished his time with the Rams with a ring.

After his trade from the Browns, the receiver was a key part of the Los Angeles Rams’ playoff run that postseason. Beckham racked up 21 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns before getting hurt. Prior to that, he posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2018 and 2019.

Ahead of his 2023 season debut, OBJ opened up on the Rich Eisen Show about how close he was to returning at the end of last season for a team heading toward the playoffs.

The former Giants star was heavily considering joining the Dallas Cowboys but, as he described it, he would have had to “go out there for no money.”

“It was close but it was going to have to be the absolute right situation that was worth risking where I’m at now,” Beckham said. “Things just kind of transpired that way. It just seemed as if the decision after the Super Bowl, will I be back, that weighed on me the entire time.

“There was no opportunity for me to really do what I wanted to do. Obviously, it’s hard to go out there for no money and risk it all for an organization when you have to look out for yourself and your family.”

Beckham, Jackson create Ravens veteran dream team

Beckham, now 30 years old, signed with the Ravens in April, just days before quarterback Lamar Jackson agreed to his $260 million contract that made him the highest-paid player in the NFL.

And the Ravens definitely are investing in more than their quarterback. The team also sports five former first-round wideouts, including Beckham, on this year’s roster.

It’s all to Lamar Jackson’s liking, especially seeing Odell Beckham Jr. wearing purple.

“I think he looked pretty smooth,” Jackson said this offseason of OBJ’s return to team workouts. “Crisp routes, great hands. As everybody knows, he can catch the ball. He looked pretty good out there.”

The Baltimore Ravens open the 2023 season with a home game versus the Houston Texans. They kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. The Ravens went 10-7 in the regular season last year. The team flamed out early in the playoffs with a first-round loss against the Cincinnati Bengals but they’ve retained the talent to challenge for the division again this year.