Rams or Bills? Odell Beckham Jr. still sounds undecided about his next stop after the NFL opener
Odell Beckham Jr. didn't give away whether or not he'd sign with either the Los Angeles Rams or the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.
Though he made it to SoFi Stadium — if only as a spectator — the veteran wideout tweeted like someone still on the fence about his 2022 destination. Following a Lombardi Trophy ceremony with the rest of his 2021 Super Bowl champion Rams teammates, the free agent Beckham watched in street clothes (which it should be noted were Rams colors) as the two teams battled back and forth until, ultimately, the Bills walloped the Rams, 31-10.
Beckham, who turns 30 in November, is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in Super Bowl LVI. But he's still been heavily recruited this summer, especially by both the Rams and the Bills. Beckham doesn't have an official timetable to return from the injury he suffered in February, but ESPN's Adam Schefter recently reported Beckham likely won't be ready to play football until Thanksgiving.
From his tweets, though, Beckham sounded like someone still very much interested in returning to the field. Just two days before the matchup, OBJ insinuated in a tweet that he'd sign with "whoever wins Thursday" after new Bills pass rusher Von Miller recruited him throughout the offseason and made sure to chat with Beckham before the game. The Rams also reportedly kept a locker open for Beckham as well throughout the offseason in anticipation he'd return to L.A. when he's ready to play again.
But given Beckham's first tweet of the night, it's hard to say when that will be.
At this game overwhelmed wit emotion I don’t kno how to feel 😂… part of me wants to be out there and the other part of me is enjoying watchin the benefits of the hard work these people put in!
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) September 9, 2022
As the game went on, Beckham oscillated from a Rams fan to a Bills fan back to a Rams fan. Almost teasing both teams with his interest. Or, perhaps he was just an enthralled NFL fan watching two fun teams battle on opening night.
When Cooper Kupp caught an incredible toe-tapping touchdown to tie the game at 10-10, Beckham tweeted in jubilation. And when Buffalo went up big in the second half, OBJ sounded intrigued by joining the Bills.
KUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPP
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) September 9, 2022
Sheeesh…. Bills mafia ?????? 😂😂😂
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) September 9, 2022
By the game's end, the Bills were clearly a better team than the defending Super Bowl champions. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford looked overwhelmed by a Bills defense that knocked him down 15 times, sacked him seven times and intercepted three of his passes. Los Angeles' defense couldn't stop Buffalo's offense, either, after Josh Allen finished with 353 combined yards and four total touchdowns.
The absolute obliteration of his former team didn't seem to help Beckham make any decisions, though. He tweeted his faith (and heart) in the Rams while simultaneously crowning the Bills as the likely AFC champions after one game.
Woah woah!!! Relax…. My heart is wit them Rams… they show me what the NFL is suppose to be like … and we won a ring, I’m forever grateful ! And listen it’s the first game of the season 😂😂😂 relax ! They lost to some dawgsss
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) September 9, 2022
Watch the bullshxt story lines and how they try to count the Rams out after one game!!!! Lol like they didn’t lose to the team that’s most likely comin outta the AFC
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) September 9, 2022
But perhaps OBJ is exactly what the Rams are missing. Los Angeles didn't really have a second offensive weapon after Kupp and certainly could have used Beckham's play-making ability (if he was healthy enough). Beckham caught 27 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight regular season games for the Rams before adding 21 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns in the team's Super Bowl run, which included a 2-52-1 line against the Bengals.
Without another solid pass-catching, Stafford peppered Kupp with a game-high 15 targets — four more than tight end Tyler Higbee and nine more than fellow wideout Ben Skowronek. Free agent acquisition Allen Robinson, who was poised to fill the shoes vacated by either Beckham or Robert Woods (now with the Tennessee Titans), finished with just one catch for 12 yards on two targets.
The Bills, meanwhile, might not even need Beckham. Allen finished with 297 passing yards and three passing touchdowns after he spread the ball among wideouts Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, Jamison Crowder and Isaiah McKenzie.
Thursday night offered Beckham a glimpse of what his future could hold. And if wants to hoist another Super Bowl trophy and wear another ring, he better choose wisely.