Former Cleveland Browns star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. went unclaimed on waivers Tuesday, making him a free agent for the first time in his NFL career, according to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora. Any team that claimed him would have owed Beckham $7.25 million for the rest of the season, but none of the 31 other clubs put in a claim.
According to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo, a one-year deal or multi-year contracts are possible, and Beckham will take his time to sort everything out. Per Kim Jones, Beckham will sleep on his decision, and one could come on Wednesday. The New England Patriots are a team that has already been in touch with Beckham’s camp, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic.
This saga began the week of the NFL trade deadline, as Odell Beckham Sr. posted a video on Instagram highlighting Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield failing to find or hit Beckham downfield on certain plays. Fuel was then added to the fire when Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James tweeted about Beckham with the hashtag #FreeOBJ. Beckham was not traded before the deadline, although the Browns did reportedly listen to a couple of offers. On Friday, the Browns announced that they would be releasing Beckham, who had been excused from practice all week. The two sides then negotiated what was virtually a buyout.
Beckham provided us with one of the most intriguing waiver wire situations in NFL history. While every team would love to have a talent like him on the roster, there was the question of if a team wanted to take on his salary, or if Beckham was trying to force himself into a free agency-like situation by going unclaimed. Multiple teams came out early and said they would not be claiming Beckham — such as the Detroit Lions, who had first dibs on waivers.
It remains to be seen if the 29-year-old is still one of the best pass-catchers in the NFL, but he hopes his new club will provide him with greener pastures — whoever that may be.
