Raven Country

Former Ravens Pro Bowl WR Debunks Retirement Rumors

The former Baltimore Ravens star's NFL journey is not complete, he announced.
Henry Brown|
Dec 25, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) stands on the field before the start of the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Dec 25, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) stands on the field before the start of the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

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Baltimore Ravens

Odell Beckham Jr., a former Baltimore Ravens standout wide receiver who once stood as one of the NFL's top pass-catchers and marketable figures, debunked rumors of his retirement on Tuesday.

The buzz came about from an X account parodying ESPN insider Adam Schefter, who spread a fake report that the 10-year veteran had decided to call it quits.

Beckham, a 10-year veteran of the league, failed to finish out his final season, appearing in nine games with the Miami Dolphins in a platoon role. He only saw 18 targets and couldn't record a touchdown in time for the Dolphins to release him in December.

Despite the unusually quiet manner with which he signed off from his playing days and the journeying he did at the back end of his career, having spent his final three seasons split between four teams, he leaves behind a lasting image on the league. His catch was instantly recognized as one of the greatest in-game plays in recent memory, and still stands today as the gold standard for one-handed grabs.

That play, which spent the mid-2010s getting parodied to death, ended up overshadowing his impressive stint with the New York Giants. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year and an appearance in the Pro Bowl instantly upon stepping into the league, and continued hammering out Pro Bowl game selections for the next two seasons.

The Giants' mounting quarterback struggles eventually resulted in Beckham getting traded to the Cleveland Browns, where his mileage started catching up with his workload. He couldn't connect with then-Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, but did get one last laugh when he won a Super Bowl immediately upon arriving at his next stop with the Los Angeles Rams.

Former Baltimore Ravens Wide Receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Feb 13, 2022; Inglewood, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. reacts after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals during Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

He tore his ACL not long after catching a touchdown in that game, and took some considerable time off before his comeback attempt with the Baltimore Ravens. He recorded a quiet season as a backup wideout, hauling in a trio of touchdowns and notching 565 yards in 14 games.

Beckham was specifically requested by Lamar Jackson, and helped get the quarterback's extension done by his successfully getting the free agent target he wanted and helping move negotiations in the right direction.

He remains unsigned with under a month to go until the NFL's regular season gets going, but is evidently holding out on pulling the plug on his playing days. A player who peaked as highly as he did gets plenty of chances to stick around, and even though Beckham's already burned through a few cities and locker rooms, he remains adamant on keeping the dream afloat.

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Henry Brown
HENRY BROWN

Henry covers the Washington Wizards and Baltimore Ravens with prior experience as a sports reporter with The Baltimore Sun, the Capital Gazette and The Lead. A Bowie, MD native, he earned his Journalism degree at the University of Maryland.

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