Odell Beckham Jr. is now in sunny Los Angeles, and the veteran wide receiver is all smiles as he settles in with his new team.
Beckham spoke to the media on Saturday and explained his decision to sign with the Rams earlier this week.
"I took a lot of time in the decision-making and it wasn't to build anticipation or nothing," Beckham said. "This is my life, and I feel like I've been through a lot. And I'm at a point in my life where I'm ready to play football, and I've dedicated, scarified a lot be here. It just happened that this felt right in my heart, in my soul. ... This is a tremendous team. 7-2, have a great opportunity to do some great things, and I just wanted to be a part of it."
When asked if he expects to play Monday when the Rams face the 49ers, Beckham said that was up to his new coaching staff.
"Right now, I’m trying to find ways to learn the playbook as fast as possible," Beckham said. "If there's something [Sean McVay] needs me to do, I'm always willing to do whatever it is. So again, I guess we'll see come Monday.”
Beckham surprised the football world when he signed with the Rams on Thursday following an abrupt end to his tenure with the Cleveland Browns. OBJ was officially released Monday and cleared waivers Tuesday, becoming a free agent for the first time in his career.
Beckham posted a goodbye note to the city of Cleveland and his former team Saturday night.
Beckham's next destination was a major storyline throughout the week as multiple teams were rumored to be in the running for his services, with the wide receiver eventually narrowing his finalists to the Rams and Packers before ultimately deciding to join the star-studded L.A. squad that's among the best teams in the NFC.
"It's been a pretty crazy last 10 days or so for me," Beckham said. "But I'm just blessed and happy to be here right now."
Beckham told reporters that the Rams' pursuit -- multiple players reached out to him throughout the week -- was a factor in his decision to come to California.
“It definitely played a role. You want to be where you feel loved, and wanted, and welcomed,” he said. “I just got that feeling from Von (Miller), Jalen (Ramsey), all them boys, the receivers when I got that call. It felt right in my heart.”
Beckham's addition has taken on greater importance in the wake of Saturday's news that wide receiver Robert Woods will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL during Friday's practice.
"Everything felt right about coming here, except that moment," Beckham said of Woods' injury. "This is a guy who called me on the phone on FaceTime. We shared words and just how excited we were to work together, for me to be able to learn from him."