While there has been no news so far on the future of free agent Odell Beckham Jr., Rams coach Sean McVay has gone on record saying that he still wants Beckham to stay in Los Angeles, though the negotiations between the wide receiver and the Rams are ongoing.
“Oh, of course. I really want Odell back on our team. He’s a guy that, in a short amount of time, we were able to develop a really special relationship. I thought he brought a great spark to our team. I thought he played really well. He’s a great teammate," McVay told NFL Network's Rich Eisen on The Rich Eisen Show on Thursday. "Without a doubt, want to get Odell back here. That’s the goal and continuing to work toward a solution of him re-signing with the Rams.”
Los Angeles signed Beckham to a one-year deal halfway through the 2021 season after the 29-year-old parted ways with the Cleveland Browns. While he had struggled with the Browns before the move, he became an integral part of the Rams offense in the latter half of the season, collecting 27 catches for 305 yards and five touchdowns and adding 21 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns in the postseason.
Beckham scored the first touchdown of Super Bowl LVI for the Rams on a 17-yard reception, but went down with a knee injury on a play during the second half. It was later revealed to be a torn ACL, the second Beckham had suffered in the last 18 months. Beckham was visibly emotional on the sidelines as he watched his team play without him, and broke down in tears as the Rams clinched the victory.
"He is truly a great teammate, made so many impactful plays," McVay said. "It was a shame to see him go down in that game but man, he sure still made an impact with those two catches that he did have."
But now that that one-year contract has expired, the Rams and Beckham have had to start negotiations to see if they can come to an agreement that keeps the star WR in Los Angeles for at least a bit longer.
The knee injury could mean that Beckham won't return to the field by the start of the 2022 season, given that it usually takes nine months to recover from ACL injuries. This timetable, along with it being his second such injury in the last two years, likely lowers his market value, and might make it more difficult to come to an agreement.
Beckham addressed speculation about his status with the Rams by responding to a tweet last week, saying that he still wanted to stay in Los Angeles, and the team knew that, but he "just can't play for free."
But Beckham did say in another tweet that he wasn't taking it personally and knows that negotiations are "just the business." So while there currently seem to be no hard feelings and both sides are in favor of Beckham staying in L.A., only time will tell if they will be able to come together and actually make a deal.