Odell Beckham Jr. has made his decision on where he will play next, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The star free agent will be catching passes in Baltimore next season as a member of the Ravens, news he hinted at on his own Instagram account. 
The three-time Pro Bowler has agreed to a one-year deal reportedly worth up to $18MM with $15MM guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero provided a further breakdown that shows the guaranteed amount to be composed of a $13.84MM signing bonus and a base salary of $1.17MM, making up the exact amount Beckham requested at the league’s recent owners’ meetings in Arizona. The remaining $3MM of potential worth in the contract comes in the form of incentives.
Most reports seemed to have Beckham’s decision narrowed down to the Jets and Ravens with many believing New York to be the favorite to land the veteran’s services. Baltimore had reportedly submitted an offer to Beckham earlier in the week, the first of many teams expected to vie for his services. The Jets, on the other hand, decided to take one more big swing at the free agent with a visit that was set to take place this evening. Despite those plans, the Ravens secured Beckham before he had a chance to revisit the Jets.
New York’s meeting this weekend was intended to be an incredibly deep dive on the potential of Beckham joining the team. They had planned a multi-faceted approach that would not only include “a physical but also a thorough discussion of what to expect in an Aaron Rodgers-led offense with a deep WR room,” according to Rapoport. The team was set to return last year’s top receivers, Garrett Wilson and Corey Davis, while adding Rodgers’s favorite target from last year, Allen Lazard, and versatile former Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman. Many of these efforts have been made under the continuing expectation that Rodgers will be quarterbacking the team in 2023 as the result of a trade that has yet to materialize. Beckham reportedly gave the Jets one last chance to match Baltimore’s offer, according to Julia Stumbaugh of Bleacher Report, but New York balked at the high price tag.
The Ravens have their own questions at the quarterback position as they continue to deal with the situation surrounding Lamar Jackson, who reportedly requested a trade from Baltimore early last month. The saga with Jackson has gone on for some time now after the two sides failed to reach an agreement on an extension. The team franchise tagged Jackson, allowing him to negotiate with other teams, but nothing ever resulted from Jackson’s supposed availability. Rapoport recently gave his opinion on the Pat McAfee Show that the situation would end rather anticlimactically with Jackson playing out the 2023 season on the franchise tag in Baltimore as the two sides continue to negotiate. Now, the Ravens have made a move that only emphasizes their desire to retain their star quarterback.
If Jackson returns, he will be throwing to a new-look wide receiving corps led by Beckham, Rashod Bateman, Devin Duvernay, and Nelson Agholor. Bateman showed promise to begin his sophomore season before a Lisfranc issue ended his year. Duvernay, fresh off All-Pro returning honors in 2021, had his best offensive season to date last year, finishing as the second most productive receiver in Baltimore last season behind Demarcus Robinson. The team’s receiver room also includes James Proche, Tylan Wallace, Andy Isabella, Shemar Bridges, and Mike Thomas.
Beckham’s road back to the Super Bowl starts now. The 30-year-old played out his rookie contract with the Giants then spent two and a half seasons with the Browns before winning a Super Bowl ring with the Rams. Unfortunately for Beckham, he didn’t get to finish Los Angeles’s Super Bowl victory, leaving the game in the second quarter with a newly torn ACL that would keep him recovering for all of the offseason. It appeared likely that a few teams may take a swing at Beckham as a potential addition for a playoff run, but nothing developed from those conversations last season. Instead, Beckham sat out the entire 2022 season as his free agency extended in to 2023.
Now, though, Beckham has found his newest home, signing with a franchise that has seen plenty of success in signing veteran free agent wide receivers such as Derrick Mason, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, and Mike Wallace. He’ll see both the Rams and Browns in 2023 and will have the chance to play his old team in Cleveland twice a year for however long he is a member of the Ravens.
Ravens peace offering to Lemar…
I guess this is supposed to make Lamar come running back going Thank you, Thank you. I mean I don’t even think Beckham is all that good anymore and certainly not worth 18 million. They need to get Ozzie back. That front office is not very good IMO.
Ozzie still works with the FO
Then he must have Alzheimers. Or be so far in the background he’s invisible.
Still seems really odd that they’d give this guy 18 million and try to stiff the guy they expect to get him the ball and their best player too. Dumb move if you ask me.
ya like why not just give Lamar that money if you’re going to be an idiot with it anyways?
The key is what the base payment is. However, any team has to account for the cap hit if he hits all the incentives. The Jets wouldn’t have been able to match that. I think the Ravens are hoping this convinces Lamar to sign the tender. If they have a successful year together, the Ravens will have to pay both of them going forward
Does a signing bonus completely avoid affecting the cap? Is it spread over void years?
Signing bonus would spread over void years assuming there are void years in the deal at the time of signing
The deal is for this year and 4 void years. This year is a 3.9 million cap hit. next year will be an 11+ million void hit and the following 3 years will be 2.76 void hits. .
http://www.spotrac.com
They will not have to pay both of them going forward. For starters – OBJ is not what he once was. OBJ , today , is Brandon Cooks at best … more likely Marvin Jones or Robert Woods.
If LaMar comes back on the franchise tag – he will be gone next year anyway.
If I’m a Ravens fan I’m not mad but I’m not over the top either. He’s older and very fragile. He is a shell of his old self. Denver when Julio went to Tenneseee or AJ green went to Arizona …. He will be closer to that than his old self.
However , it is better than anything they have now so time will tell.
Not Denver – Remember
430 yards 47 catches 4 TDs 12 games played.
A more highly compensated Demarcus Robinson.
Wait, I thought OBJ said he wanted to go to a contender…?
Well, he didn’t actually specify what his new team would have to be contending for…lol.
Nooooooooooooo!!!
Thank goodness he came to Baltimore! This will definately fuel the Steelers up to a 2nd place finish in the division. I love it when the Ravens PR department makes their shittiest move, in a decade (at least PR wise) and decides, does anyone have any fecal matter to throw on top of this heap of dung? Please anyone? Save the drama for your mama as they say. Mixon criminally charged? Check. Turmoil and dumpster fires in Baltimore (both the city and the football team)? Check. Deshaun in Cleveland still? Check. Steelers are still ugly but they are looking prettier by the day.
Bahahahaha!!! doesn’t matter if we have Lamar or not, Steelers will still finish no better then 3rd in the division
Are you claiming Baltimore last? Is this you Steve Smith still hammering your drum? You say we which leads me to be you are or were in the organization. You can’t possibly let the Browns go to the front of the line with no past practice, can you? Deshuan was 3-3 last year beating the Texans, The Football Team and um, the Ravens. To the front of the line Cleveland! Pittsburgh to the back! After being .500 for like every year the past 5 years, I was disappointed they won as many as they did.
That “Football Team” is the Commanders, who should be more properly called the Redskins.
Love how everyone has already given the division to the Bengals … my how times change
For the past 2 years, yes, it’s been the Bengals by a long shot.
Does your definition of long shot mean barely sqeaking by the Ravens when they miss Lamar for 5-6 games?
As a Steeler fan, the Steelers don’t look better at all, still have (easily) the worst QB in the division… It all starts there.
Kenny about to be top 15
Until he throws more than 1 TD a game, I can’t buy into that. Or beats a team that has an above .500 record with their starting QB.
Erin shall not be pleased.
htrab77 I’m sure he’d be devastated if we were in 2015. OBJ’s name stands out more than his on field performance these days.
He personally requested OBJ be signed as one of his pre-Jets trade negotiations.
Rodgers didn’t ask the Jets to spend his own salary on OBJ. Rodgers was in on Beckham at $5 million guaranteed, rest on incentives. Jets receiver room looks fine without OBJ. I hope for Baltimore’s sake, OBJ at least makes it through half a season.
I don’t see any of that anywhere, and it’s moot anyway; one of the guys he wanted isn’t gonna be there now, so yet another reason for him to veto the trade. He has GB by the balls and it’s absolutely hilarious how they’ve let themselves be strung along like this.
Gonna suck when he’s got Carson wentz behind center.
That’s a lot of money for four games.
-No Lamar, we wont pay you what you’re demanding..but look at this shiny new toy. Sure he’s past his prime, injury prone, and an all around locker room diva..but we WAY overpaid him to impress you. So will you please just sign this contract (worth a fraction of what you want) now?
Thanks,
Baltimore’s horrible front office
crazy they gave him 18 million. good for him
not gonna be happy when TE is still top target after scramble
This has been a terrible off-season for the Ravens. I wonder if all the owners will be mad at Baltimore for overpaying old and injured WR
Let’s see Baltimore finished above Pittsburgh without OBJ so yeah I see how that would make sense. Oh wait no I don’t. And I am not even a Ravens fan by any means.
Don’t any expect any more national/featured games for the Ravens than necessary. Divas are not a TV draw by themselves, plus the AFC East teams have a schedule that’ll sell itself.
Idk, russell Wilson is the biggest diva in the league and he was prime time Tv repeatedly on the worst offensive team in NFL history
What could possibly go wrong by overpaying an over-30 injury prone WR to lure back an injury prone QB who already requested a trade?
Don’t worry Ravens fans! You have Hundley, he’s a pro bowler!
Watch Lamar say that he still wants to be traded.
Why would this change anything if that’s what you’re insinuating?
If anything it’s gonna anger Lamar more. The biggest knock on Jackson was that he’s injury prone and they just paid an older more injury prone double the money that he’s worth. This is worse than the Daniel Jones signing. At least Jones played and he kinda had the Giants backed into a corner
I highly doubt it since it’s pretty clear he’s happy about it. It could be prove it years for both of them.
This means nothing – as Lamar isn’t going to play a down under that franchise tag.
he didn’t get franchise tagged. he literally doesn’t have a contract right now
He did get franchise tagged with some weird designation that’s never been used to my knowledge. The Ravens have right of matching somebodies contract if they offer him one. If the Ravens turn it down they get the usual franchise player return.
I liked the Jakobi Meyers signing before this, but how does Meyers get only $33M/3 and Odell $15-18M/1?
I can’t believe people are complaining about a one year deal. Good for the Ravens and probably for Beckham. 18 million is a lot but it’s one year. Other than a FA corner and Lamar (whose cap hit is already accounted for) what else were the ravens gonna do in FA?
What an overpay. Should take that and add it to Jackson’s offer.
What an overpay! Jets Never would’ve paid that
By far the most hilarious signing in recent memory. Ravens just signed a two time ACL tear WR that’s 30 years old and didn’t play last year for second tier WR money with a QB that wants out. Can’t make this stuff up
Lol, love this. It’s all about the money. He’s all washed up.
Lamar to NE for Mac Jones and a first this year.
Mac Jones gets to throw to OBJ Bateman, Duvernay and Agholor. Plus Mark Andrews and Isiah Likely at TE. Better protection, still a good RB in Dobbins and doesn’t have a DC trying to be a OC.
For the Ravens he’s cheaper, plays more of that pocket passing style so you don’t have to worry about him getting hurt as much. When working out an extension he’s going to be cheaper as he hasn’t won an MVP or a playoff game yet… Not to mention you also add a first round pick.
Getting one of the best corners and one of the best edge rushers would go along way to making this Ravens side a strong playoff team next year.
For NE, BB doesn’t like or want Mac. Lamar is a former MVP winner so that’s a clear upgrade at QB and all you’ve lost is a first round pick and in fairness you don’t draft well in the first anyway.
NE has multiple running options, multiple WRers and 2 decent TE’s behind an alright line.
Overall I’d say it’s a good deal for both sides and the biggest winner would be Mac Jones
The problem is guaranteed $$$ for Lamar.
No guarantee that Jackson would replicate his Baltimore success in Foxboro. Bill Belichick is now on the same level as Jeff “7-9 Forever” Fisher.
HUUUUUUUUUUUGE overpay! $18M for a washed up? Injury prone WR? Wow, Baltimore’s front office is nowhere near where it used to be, that’s for sure. I give it until week 6 before he tears something. Money well spent! Thank God the Lions FO has more sense!
Does this mean that Aaron Rodgers is now coming to Baltimore?
No, just means Ravens offered him way more than Jets
Best WR Lamar has ever had…
in name only
What’s all the ruckus about with Lamar? Ravens already have a proven pro bowl QB on the roster. Now they have Jacobi. Meyers AND Beckham. Consider the AFC North over before the draft.