Report: Odell Beckham Jr. 'Honing In On' Chiefs, Packers, Saints
Former New York Giants and Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. cleared waivers after being released by the Browns. Now, Beckham is free to choose his preferred destination. According to Dianna Russini of ESPN, Beckham has three preferred destinations, and Kansas City made the cut.
"On the day in which he could make his final decision, free-agent WR Odell Beckham Jr. is honing in on the Chiefs, Packers and Saints, per league sources," Russini tweeted.
Earlier in the week, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network pointed to the Saints and Seattle Seahawks as preferred destinations for the three-time Pro Bowler. Now, with Russini's report in mind, it seems likely that Beckham will either land in the NFC or in Kansas City. A later report from ProFootballTalk added the New England Patriots as being "definitely in on OBJ" as well.
What would OBJ mean for KC?
Though Beckham hasn't had a 1,000-yard receiving season since 2019 due to a combination of injuries and a never-quite-right fit in Cleveland, Kansas City and Beckham could be a perfect match. Even after the addition of wide receiver Josh Gordon, the Chiefs haven't seen a third pass-catcher separate themselves from the pack behind Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce.
With plenty of blame to go around for the Chiefs' recent offensive struggles — Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid and the pass-catchers have all been in legitimate slumps — Beckham could step into the role vacated by Sammy Watkins when he left for the Baltimore Ravens.
It's also worth noting that the Chiefs have been looking to add receiving firepower for months. They were close to adding JuJu Smith-Schuster, drafted Cornell Powell and added Gordon after his reinstatement by the NFL.
The move would also make sense for Beckham, who will now hit free agency after this year barring a surprising turn of events. Beckham could come to Kansas City for a half-season, flash his talent alongside Mahomes, Hill and Kelce, then hit free agency next offseason with a chance at another big payday from a team who believes he can still be a No. 1 wide receiver. Green Bay could also provide that opportunity, playing alongside Davante Adams and catching passes from Aaron Rodgers. The Saints currently have Trevor Simien at quarterback, so OBJ should probably prioritize KC and Green Bay unless he truly just wants to spend half a season closer to home. Beckham was born in Baton Rouge, went to high school in New Orleans, and played college ball at LSU.
With Beckham clearing waivers, previous salary cap issues should largely be washed away, especially if it's narrowed to the Chiefs, Packers and Saints. According to OverTheCap, the Packers narrowly have the most cap space of the three, currently listed at $4.6 million. The Chiefs are listed at $3.28 million and the Saints have just $889,285 as of the publishing of this story. No team would have to pay Beckham's original salary since he wasn't claimed on waivers, so Beckham could sign for as much or as little money as possible. If he's looking for a rejuvenation on a smaller half-season salary, he should head to Kansas City or Green Bay.
