DECEMBER 16: Beckham has indeed cleared waivers, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Although it only would have taken a roughly $200K payment to carry Beckham for the rest of the season, the NFL’s other 31 teams passed. For a second time, Beckham is now a free agent in-season.
DECEMBER 15: Pelissero reports Beckham has a shortlist of teams he is interested in joining for the closing weeks of the season (video link). That would of course become a moot point if he were to be claimed off waivers tomorrow. If Beckham clears and reaches free agency, though, he could look to join one of the teams he is targeting an agreement with.
DECEMBER 13: Odell Beckham Jr. entered 2024 with the expectation of serving as a complementary option in the Dolphins’ offense, but his role has still be smaller than anticipated. The veteran wideout will now see his Miami tenure come to an end. 
Beckham asked to be let go, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. The Dolphins will grant the request, he adds, meaning a move to the waiver wire will be forthcoming. Beckham is seeking an increased role on his next team, while playoff contenders may show interest in him as an insurance option for the stretch run. The Dolphins have now officially placed Beckham on waivers, where he will remain until Monday.
That will give teams plenty of time to contemplate putting in a claim; failing that, Beckham will become a free agent. The 32-year-old has made nine appearances since being activated from the PUP list in October. Over that span, however, he has registered only nine catches for 55 scoreless yards while handling a 20% snap share. Those figures could lead to several teams steering clear with respect to a waiver claim, although as Pelissero’s colleague Mike Garafolo notes, Beckham is only owed roughly $200K for the rest of the campaign and is not on track to hit any incentive thresholds.
The three-time Pro Bowler had a lengthy free agency spell this past offseason as he recovered from a knee operation. He took on a one-year Dolphins deal with a base value of $3MM in anticipation of handling WR3 duties on his latest team. With that not being the case, team and player will move on as Miami seeks to remain in contention for a wild-card berth. The Dolphins’ offense has generally been less reliant on Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in 2024 than in years past, although over the past two games that pairing has served as the focal point of the offense.
Beckham had a one-and-done stint with the Ravens last season, one in which he posted a career-high 16.1 yards per catch. It came as no surprise that he was unable to secure anywhere near the $15MM he received in 2023 on his most recent pact, but this campaign can nevertheless be considered a disappointment. A small window of opportunity will exist for Beckham to rebuild his value to an extent if he manages to catch on with a team for the closing stages of the season, though.
The former Rams Super Bowl winner said ahead of the 2023 campaign he was giving thought to retirement. He has managed one more contract since then, but his status following the current season (regardless of if it includes an opportunity with another team) will be worth watching with respect to his career outlook.
