WATCH: Odell Beckham Jr ties NFL record with Super Bowl touchdown catch
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. put his name in the NFL record books early in Sunday’s Super Bowl versus Cincinnati. Beckham caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, the first of the game, notching his seventh touchdown of the season for L.A.
The touchdown gave the former LSU standout the record for most scores with a team other than the one he started the season with. He passed Dallas Cowboys wideout Amari Cooper who had six in 2018 after leaving the Raiders.
Beckham joined the Rams in November after being waived by the Cleveland Browns. The three-time Pro Bowler signed a one-year deal worth up to $4.25 million, including a $1 million bonus for winning the Super Bowl. In eight games with the Rams this season, Beckham has compiled 27 catches for 305 yards and five touchdowns. He set a season-high in the NFC Championship with nine catches for 113 yards.
Odell Beckham played integral role in Rams’ trip to Super Bowl 56
The LSU product was once considered among the top receivers in the NFL after posting 1,000-yard seasons in five of his first six seasons in the NFL. However, injuries derailed his 2020 campaign as he appeared in only seven games. A slow start to 2021 resulted in his release from the Browns, a seemingly big setback for the former first round pick.
But the Rams quickly gave him another chance and he hasn’t taken it for granted. Odell Beckham has especially been integral in the team’s run to the Super Bowl, with 19 catches for 236 yards and a touchdown over three postseason games.
Los Angeles is up against a Cincinnati team that pulled off upset victories against top-seeded Tennessee and defending runner-up Kansas City in the playoffs. The Bengals are led by quarterback Joe Burrow, who in his second NFL season has already established himself as one of the league’s premier stars.