The NFL trade deadline has come and gone, but there are still free agents who could serve as key contributors to teams as they attempt Super Bowl runs.
The biggest name on that list is Odell Beckham Jr., who has still yet to play this season as he recovers from a torn ACL incurred in the Rams’ Super Bowl 56 victory over the Bengals. The question now is who he will sign with, and when?
Early indications suggested Beckham, who has garnered significant interest throughout the league, would sign with a team in mid-November. However, that plan seems to have been delayed by a few weeks as he continues to rehab from his knee injury.
Intended or not, that should provide Beckham with a clearer picture on who has the best chances of making a run to Super Bowl 57. Reports indicate, however, that the receiver isn’t merely looking to sign a one-year contract amid another Super Bowl run: The 30-year-old wants a multi-year deal with a perennial contender where he can end his career.
MORE: Odell Beckham Jr. injury history: A complete timeline of injuries during Rams WR’s career
That’s just another facet of the Beckham sweepstakes. How it affects his decision remains to be seen. Regardless, The Sporting News has everything you need to know about Beckham’s timeline to return, as well as the updates to his injury rehab:
Odell Beckham Jr. return date
A Nov. 6 report by NFL.com suggests Beckham will be “in full health” and ready to sign with a team by early December, which would coincide roughly with Week 13 of the NFL schedule.
An Oct. 19 report by ESPN suggested Beckham would not be able to play until mid-December. It’s uncertain whether Beckham would need a week to acclimate to his new team or would instead be able to play immediately upon signing.
Assuming Beckham’s updated timeline remains intact, he will have his choice of several teams with whom he can sign. Likely candidates include the Rams, with whom Beckham won a Super Bowl in 2021, and the Bills, a strong contender out of the AFC who signed former teammate Von Miller in the offseason.
That said, Beckham on Oct. 12 said the Rams made him a low offer when attempting to re-sign him:
LA knows where I wanted to be… but they didn’t offer me…. ANYthing! So idk what people want me to do, I def kno my worth and what the offer was isn’t reflective of that. So it’s tough to say that I can come on back even tho I thought I finally found that home !
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) October 12, 2022
Other potential destinations include the Chiefs, Giants and Packers, all of whom could use a top-end playmaking threat after dealing receivers over the offseason and at the trade deadline. Another candidate that has emerged in the Beckham sweepstakes is Dallas, which reportedly is interested in adding Beckham once he’s fully healthy.
MORE: Cowboys reportedly eyeing WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham injury updates
NFL.com reports that Beckham is in “the final stages” of his rehab, allowing him to return in early-to-mid-December.
Beckham’s ACL tear in the Super Bowl could have been a blessing in disguise. The injury occurred to the same knee which suffered an ACL tear in the 2020 season, when he was still with the Browns. His surgery to repair that injury reportedly did not go well, meaning his re-tear allowed him to undergo another procedure to properly repair it.
If Beckham comes back stronger than before his ACL tear in the Super Bowl, he could easily become a huge addition to any team looking for a similar run at the end of the 2022 season.
