The Miami Dolphins’ 2024 season hasn’t gone to plan, and with a trip to the playoffs looking unlikely, the team released Odell Beckham Jr. The veteran wide receiver cleared waivers on Monday and is now free to sign with any team.
According to multiple reports, Beckham has a short list of teams he would like to sign with. Some believe the Los Angeles Rams would be a good fit, but head coach Sean McVay said the team has given no thought to the possibility.
“That’s not something that we’ve talked about yet. You know the respect that I have for him, but that hasn’t been something that we’ve discussed,” McVay recently told reporters.
Beckham signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Dolphins this past May, but it turned out to be a poor fit as he caught just nine passes for 55 yards and no touchdowns in nine games.
The three-time Pro Bowler opened up the year on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list due to a knee injury and did not make his debut until Week 5.
Beckham is only three years removed from a successful stint with the Rams, when he caught 27 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight games. Beckham tore the ACL in his left knee during Super Bowl LVI, which represented his final game with the team.
The 32-year-old missed the entire 2022 season while recovering from surgery but returned to the field last year with the Baltimore Ravens.
Beckham obviously hasn’t looked like the explosive player he once was with the New York Giants, but it would be surprising if another team doesn’t take a flier on him given his past success and playoff experience.
The fit with the Rams isn’t really there though as he is said to prioritizing playing time and L.A. already has a wide receiving corps that includes Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Demarcus Robinson and Tutu Atwell.
Could Aaron Donald return to the Rams?
The Rams’ ascension to playoff contention has some wondering if future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald would consider coming out of retirement to join the team for the stretch run.
However, the likelihood of that happening is extremely slim. This is due to the NFL rule that players on the reserve/retired list are not eligible to return after Week 12.
Technically speaking, there is still a way for Donald to play on the Rams this season. The team would need to release and re-sign him to a new contract.
That would require Donald passing through waivers and it is highly likely that another team would claim him. He could let teams know that he would refuse to play for them, but McVay said he has not reached out to Donald regardless.
