Odell Beckham Jr: Dallas Cowboys pass up contract offer to free agent receiver amid knee injury concerns

Beckham was at the Dallas team facility on Monday and Tuesday this week; Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on his weekly radio show he was “not confident at all” about signing the free agent receiver until he sees him work out; Beckham also visited with the Giants and Bills

Odell Beckham Jr ended his multi-day visit with the Dallas Cowboys without a contract, with reports in the US indicating the Cowboys have concerns over the star receiver’s availability for the remainder of the 2022 season as he continues his recovery from a torn ACL in his left knee.

Beckham was at the Cowboys’ facility on Monday and Tuesday this week, spending Monday night with linebacker Micah Parsons and cornerback Trevon Diggs at the Dallas Mavericks’ NBA game, using owner Jerry Jones’ courtside seats. He also had visits with the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills over the weekend.

Asked at half-time of the Mavericks game what the Cowboys’ chances of signing him were, Beckham told ESPN‘s Tim MacMahon with a big smile: “It’s a good possibility.”

But, according to reports, the Cowboys have doubts as to whether Beckham is completely recovered from the devastating knee injury he picked up while playing for the Los Angeles Rams in their Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals back in February.

Initial predictions were that Beckham would be ready to play by mid-November, but that timeline has already been extended.

The 30-year-old met with Cowboys team physicians on Monday but, with concerns over his availability for the remainder of the 2022 season – and with the playoffs only a month away – Jones said on his weekly Dallas radio show on Tuesday, he was “not confident at all” about signing Beckham until he sees him work out.

Jones did, however, add that he “enjoyed every minute” the team had spent with Beckham and promised to keep the dialogue between the two parties “active.”

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said in his press conference on Wednesday that he thought the visit went “very well,” and on Beckham specifically, he said he “liked his vibe” and “enjoyed everything about our talk.”

The Cowboys, sitting comfortably in the NFC playoff spots at 9-3 this season, are looking for an immediate contributor on offense who would be available to play this season and into a possible postseason run.

Jones had said that Beckham playing this season is “paramount” to a deal possibly getting done. But, according to NFL Network reporter Jane Slater, “the lack of a Beckham workout during his visit – and what that implies about his recovery status – has made Dallas less optimistic of a deal being done than pre-visit.”

NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport has since reported that Beckham has now headed home to Arizona to “discuss his options with family and decide what his next steps will be.”

Last year, Beckham agreed to terms with the Rams on November 11 after engineering his release from the Cleveland Browns. During their run to the Super Bowl title, he had 21 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns in the playoffs before suffering his torn ACL injury during Super Bowl LVI.

The Rams had again been favourites to recapture Beckham’s signature, but the defending champions’ desperately disappointing 3-9 record this season has led the free agent receiver to explore alternative options.

A three-time Pro Bowler, Beckham has 531 career catches for 7,367 yards and 56 touchdowns in 96 games with the Giants (2014-18), Browns (2019-21) and Rams (2021) over his eight-year NFL career since being taken with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Beckham had a record-breaking start to life in the league, with three straight 1,300-yard seasons to begin his career and in his rookie year, he announced himself on the world stage with an incredible one-handed touchdown catch for the Giants, against the Cowboys.

Beckham broke his leg in 2017, keeping him out for most of that season. He was traded to the Browns in 2019, but his second season with the team was ended prematurely with a first torn ACL injury. He returned to action in 2021 but engineered his release from the team after criticism from his father on social media over the way he was being used in Cleveland.

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