Odell Beckham Jr. heads back to the free-agent market after his first season in Baltimore ended Sunday in an AFC Championship Game loss to Kansas City.
Beckham, who generated 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns, played 14 regular season games this past season after missing the entire 2022 campaign. The 31-year-old said his biggest accomplishment was showing he still has it.
"To me, if there is anything I felt about myself -- regardless of anybody's opinion or anything like that -- is that I know that I can still play football, and I know that I still have [stuff] in the tank," Beckham said on Sunday, via the team's official website.
"It's just unfortunate -- the way that it went today -- because, to me, it's so much bigger than one person in this room; it was [about] just being able to have that moment with these guys you've worked so hard with. So, for me, as far as my future, [I'll] just take a step back, breathe for a second, pick [my] chin up, just know that life goes on, and we'll figure out what's next after that."
Beckham started the season off slow, missing games in Weeks 3 and 4 after returning from the knee injury suffered in Super Bowl LVI. He seemed to hit his stride in the middle of the campaign, including generating 90-plus yards twice in three weeks (11, 13). However, instead of continuing to rise, that run ended up a blip on the radar.
OBJ played sparingly in the Ravens' Divisional Round blowout of Houston, earning just 20 snaps despite getting the start and being targeted once (one catch, 12 yards). Sunday, he played more with Baltimore in catchup mode against K.C., generating three catches on six targets for 22 yards.
Heading toward free agency, Beckham was asked if he'd like to return to Baltimore in 2024.
"I don't know the political answer to that question, but I've enjoyed every single moment," OBJ said.
He added: "I absolutely love this place. This felt like a home. It felt amazing for me. The city of Baltimore ... I wanted it for the city of Baltimore more than anything. I wanted them to be able to have that moment [when] we're all standing on the field, and The Bank is rocking, but just came up short."
In 2023, Beckham inked a one-year, $15 million contract in Baltimore. His regular season production earned an extra $1 million in incentives ($250,000 for 30-plus catches, $500,000 for 500-plus yards, $250 for three TDs).
OBJ showed he can still play, but given that his production at 31 was in the Josh Palmer, Noah Brown, Michael Wilson range, he could be hard-pressed to see a similar base pay in 2024.
