This is not how Odell Beckham Jr. imagined he would be spending his 28th birthday. On Instagram, the Cleveland Browns star wide receiver posted a photo of him celebrating his birthday in a leg brace. Beckham tore his ACL nearly two weeks ago and will miss the remainder of the 2020 season.
“28 at midnight, wonder what’s nexts for me,” Beckham wrote in the Instagram post. It looks like the next step is getting healthy. Beckham reportedly told Kim Jones of the NFL Network that he will have surgery to repair his ACL on Nov. 10. Jones said, Beckham “sounded optimistic and in good spirits when we spoke.” The Browns traded for Beckham last year, and he has three years left on his current contract. Browns’ general manager Andrew Berry gave an update on Beckham’s future this week.
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“I would say to me, and respectfully, I feel like I have answered this question enough. I can’t control what the outside noise says,” Berry said Wednesday as reported by CBS Sports. “Odell is one of the best receivers in the NFL. He played really good football for us before he was injured. He has done a fantastic job with his teammates and at practice. He has embraced the organization. He is under contract for multiple years.” Berry went on to reveal how much of a loss Beckham is to the Browns as they look to make a push to the playoffs.
“Odell is one of the best receivers in the league,” Berry added. “A loss of a player of that caliber, you do not just realistically fully replace [with one player]. It will take a bit of a committee approach … It really will take a next man up mentality and guys playing to their strengths and continuing to step up and produce because Odell is not coming back this year.”
Beckham’s 2020 season ends with him catching 23 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns. In his 23 games with the Browns dating back to last year, the LSU alum has recorded 97 receptions for 1,254 yards and seven touchdowns. Beckham started his career with the New York Giants in 2014 and made an instant impact his rookie season, collecting 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has reached the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons in the league and has been named to the All-Pro Second Team twice.
