SEPTEMBER 7: The Rams have ruled Jefferson out for their opener against the Bills. The team has Ben Skowronek, 2021 second-rounder Tutu Atwell and rookie UDFA Lance McCutcheon in place as their other Week 1 WR3 options.
SEPTEMBER 6: For a very short span last season, Odell Beckham Jr.‘s signing bumped Van Jefferson down to the Rams’ No. 4 wideout role. Robert Woods‘ ensuing ACL tear kept Jefferson a regular on offense. With both out of the picture, Jefferson would have a clear path to his previous gig.
But Jefferson is still rehabbing from his second offseason knee surgery. The Rams are preparing as if the third-year receiver will not play Thursday night, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. Sean McVay called Jefferson’s early-August surgery minor but did not guarantee he would be ready for Week 1. While Wilson adds Jefferson returning early in the season would not surprise, he is not expected to suit up against the Bills.
Jefferson caught 50 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns last season. The Florida alum figures to fly under the radar again this year, with Cooper Kupp being extended and Allen Robinson signing. Beckham’s continued place as a Rams free agent target again leaves Jefferson’s WR3 status as tenuous, should the long-connected parties agree to terms again.
“He’s a guy that, in a short amount of time, we were able to develop a really special relationship,” McVay said of Beckham. “I thought he brought a great spark to our team. I thought he played really well. He’s a great teammate. 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.”
The Rams’ Beckham interest is well known, but Wilson adds OBJ is also interested in returning to play for the defending Super Bowl champs. His crashing of McVay’s wedding this summer may have been a decent indicator here. Although Cam Akers commandeered the talented receiver’s Rams number (3), the team has a locker reserved — nameplate and all — for Beckham going into the season, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue tweets.
Beckham, who averaged 38.7 yards per game with the Browns last season and just 38.1 as a regular-season Ram, came through for his third NFL employer in crunch time. The 29-year-old target’s 113-yard performance in the NFC championship game and 52-yard Super Bowl LVI half — prior to his second ACL tear — did plenty to help Los Angeles to the title. Other teams will surely be monitoring Beckham this season, as he is not expected to be ready to return until October or early November, and there will be — as Jefferson re-emerges — needier teams. It will be interesting what a second straight in-season Beckham market will look like. We do know one team that will absolutely be in the mix.
Again, I don’t see why OBJ being unsigned is story. He knows LAR’s offense. There is no need for them to agree to a deal while he’s still injured if he wants to stay there.
Beckham would either (1) have to be waived/injured or (2) start the season on the PUP list.
Realistically, no NFL club is going to waste a spot on the active roster for a WR coming off a serious knee injury.
Yes there is.
OBJ is great as long as he gets his touches and things are going well. The moment some adversity shows up, that’s when the real OBJ shows up.
That’s his history. But he’s a young man. People do mature as they get into their 30’s. It’s not like he ever broke the law or hurt anyone. Let’s not be too judgmental.
Yeah, it is not like he had a warrant and was arrested for battery on an officer in 2020 or anything….
I am tired of this “but he’s young/just a kid” excuse. He is going on 30. That’s not a young man. That’s an adult. 21 is an adult, not a kid. It isn’t like he’s 13 or 14.
Any late season injury will require missing half the games in the following season, thus any talk about OBJ’s status and availability should be put off until about week 8.