'Odell is Him!' Ravens QB Lamar Jackson Hypes Up Odell Beckham Jr.
The Baltimore Ravens have garnered a lot of attention this offseason, and two of the biggest reasons why are quarterback Lamar Jackson and receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Jackson was the talk of the offseason, with widespread speculation of his departure before he signed a monster extension with the Ravens. Beckham, on the other hand, is an all-new addition, signing a one-year deal after tearing his ACL in Super Bowl LVI and not playing last season. Together, Jackson and Beckham make up one of the NFL's most-anticipated new duos.
So far, the partnership between the two seems to be going swimmingly. On Wednesday, Jackson hyped up his new teammate and shared how excited he is to play with him.
"Odell is a legend to a lot of us [with] what he did early in his career and the [2021 season] when he was with the Rams," Jackson said Wednesday, via ESPN. "Odell is him, one of those guys."
According to Jackson, Beckham is living up to his reputation throughout offseason workouts. The 2019 MVP said throwing to Beckham felt "smooth" and praised his "crisp routes" and "great hands." With the three-time Pro Bowler now fully recovered from his knee injury, according to head coach John Harbaugh, he's looking to carry a strong offseason into the upcoming campaign.
For Beckham, building such a reputation is a bit of a surreal feeling. The 30-year-old receiver was a rookie less than a decade ago, but thanks to his early-career stardom, has already become an iconic player league-wide. Now that he has so much experience, Beckham is looking forward to being a leader for the Ravens' younger receivers.
"Guys come up to you, and it's like, 'Oh, I remember watching you in middle school,'" Beckham said. "And it's like ... they start to make you feel old, and I think I know what my role will be, as far as coming out and being able to show it every day and being able to lead."
Baltimore's offense has plenty of hype behind it this offseason, and if all goes well, it could be a season to remember in the Charm City.
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