Throughout the last decade, few players have been as popular and polarizing in the NFL as wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. The star wide receiver has had quite the career, and he is still a valuable part of the Baltimore Ravens‘ offense.
He had 35 catches this year for 565 yards and three touchdowns. The yards rank second on the team, showing he is still a big part of the team’s offense. Before the Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, let’s take a look back at the wild career of Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham Jr.’s Time in College at LSU
Beckham burst onto the football scene during his junior season at LSU, as he finished the 2013 year with 59 catches for 1,152 yards and eight touchdowns. Not only was he a great receiver, but he was also an explosive returner in college. During that same season, he had 32 kickoff returns for 845 yards.
That versatility helped him win the Paul Hornung Award, which is annually given to the most versatile player in college football. With that incredible junior year, Beckham decided to forgo his senior season, and he entered the 2014 NFL Draft.
Becoming a Star as a New York Giant
The New York Giants drafted Beckham with the No. 12 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He was the third receiver selected in that draft, as Sammy Watkins (No. 4) and Mike Evans (No. 7) were taken before him.
He missed the first four games of the season due to a hamstring issue, but then he absolutely took over the NFL world during that season. In the first Monday Night Football game of his career, he had eight catches for 156 yards against the Indianapolis Colts.
While he was becoming a star that year, it was his catch against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football that took his popularity to an entirely different level.
Beckham was battling Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr on the sideline as Eli Manning sent a pass his way. Despite being grabbed, Beckham secured a one-handed catch for a touchdown that is still talked about.
LeBron James, at the time, said it was the greatest catch he had ever seen. All those crazy one-handed catches that have become commonplace? Beckham essentially pioneered them.
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In his rookie season, he finished with 91 catches, 1,305 yards, and 12 touchdowns. In his second year, he was even better. He had 96 catches for 1,450 yards and 13 touchdowns. In these two seasons, he was the fastest player in NFL history to have 100, 150, and 200 catches. He was also the fastest to 3,000 and 3,500 yards.
In the 2017 season, he was able to play in only four games due to injury. In his final season in New York, he had 77 catches, 1,052 yards, and six touchdowns.
Trade to Cleveland
On March 3, 2019, the Giants made a huge move when they decided to trade Beckham to the Cleveland Browns. Beckham and defensive end Olivier Vernon were traded to the New York Giants for Jabril Peppers, Kevin Zeitler, and the Browns’ first and third picks in the 2019 NFL Draft.
In just his second game in Cleveland, he was back playing in MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets. He had put on incredible performances in that stadium as a Giant, and he put together his best game as a member of the Browns organization. He had six catches on the night for 161 yards, including a spectacular 89-yard touchdown grab.
He went on to finish his first year in Cleveland with 74 catches for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns. However, injuries played a huge role in Cleveland, and things ended very sour.
He tore his ACL during the 2020 season, and he then played in only six games in the 2021 season before being released on Nov. 8, 2021. Recently, when talking about his time in Cleveland, Beckham said the Giants traded him to Cleveland “to die.”
Another Chance in Los Angeles
Beckham signed three days later with the Los Angeles Rams. In the regular season, he didn’t put up huge numbers, but he had an impressive postseason for the Rams.
In the NFC Championship win against the San Francisco 49ers, he finished the game with nine catches for 113 yards. He followed that up with a tremendous start in the Super Bowl, as he had two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown early against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Many people think he was on his way to a Super Bowl MVP-type performance, but he tore his ACL in the game. Despite that heartbreak, Beckham was able to get a Super Bowl ring that season.
Back in Big Games in Baltimore
He signed with the Ravens this season, and while he hasn’t put up the explosive numbers he generated early in his career, he has been an important part of the team this year. His best game of the season was against the Bengals, when he finished with four catches for 116 yards.
The Ravens are the betting favorite right now to win the Super Bowl headed into their AFC Championship Game matchup against the Chiefs.
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