Lamar Jackson reacts to Ravens signing Odell Beckham, Jr.
It’s been an offseason full of drama for Baltimore Ravens’ dynamic dual-threat quarterback, Lamar Jackson. On Sunday evening, things got a bit more interesting in Baltimore, after news broke the Ravens were signing former LA Rams wideout Odell Beckham, Jr. Plenty of teams across the National Football League publicly courted the mercurial wideout over the past year, but in the end the Ravens landed him. Once the news broke, Lamar Jackson posted his reaction on Instagram.
Check it out below.
The deal is reportedly for one season and worth up to $18 million. Of that number, $15 million is wrapped up in the signing bonus and base salary while the remaining $3 million is incentive-based.
The signing puts an end to speculation on where Beckham will play in 2023 after he sat out the entire 2022 season after suffering a torn ACL in the Super Bowl in 2021. The receiver was a key part of the Los Angeles Rams’ playoff run that postseason as he 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.
The Beckham signing means Jackson is excited to be sticking around in Baltimore. There has been plenty of uncertainty surrounding the former Heisman Trophy winner and his contentious contract standoff with the Ravens’ front office this offseason.
Beckham should step in immediately as a top option for a Ravens receiving corps that lacked options in 2022. Tight end Mark Andrews led the team with 847 yards and five touchdowns, but other than that, no player on the team surpassed 500 yards.
Beckham has enjoyed a prolific career in the NFL
It’ll be interesting to see if Beckham can return to form. Since joining the NFL in 2014, he’s been named a Pro Bowler three times. He’s enjoyed a prolific career, but after the ACL injury, there are plenty of questions as to what type of form the former LSU star will show on the field. That being said, before he suffered his ACL injury, he was absolutely torching the Bengals’ secondary in the Rams’ Super Bowl win.
In 96 games during his career thus far, Beckham has hauled in 531 catches for 7,367 yards and 56 touchdowns. The most famous catch he has made during his football career came against the Dallas Cowboys in 2014, when he played for the New York Giants. He extended his arm behind his head and reeled the football in with one hand. It was a career defining grab that catapulted him to superstardom across the globe.
The last stint that he saw any game action came in the 2021 playoffs, when he hauled in 21 catches for 288 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the postseason with the LA Rams. While the science behind ACL recoveries has gotten more advanced in the past several years, Beckham is not getting any younger. He’ll turn 31 years old in November.
On3’s Chandler Vessels also contributed to this article.