Things have worked out pretty well for Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Beckham Jr. #3 of the Los Angeles Rams reacts after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium on January 30, 2022 in Inglewood, California. The Rams defeated the 49ers 20-17. Credit: Getty Images/Ronald Martinez
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — It has been a long, twisted and controversial journey for Odell Beckham Jr., but he finally is where he always wanted to be: with a chance to win an NFL championship.
He would rather have accomplished that goal with the team that drafted him, but after that magnificent one-handed catch in 2014 rocketed him to stardom, it eventually devolved into an untenable situation for the Giants and resulted in his banishment to Cleveland in a 2019 trade.
It soured with the Browns, too, to the point that they released him in November after a messy feud with quarterback Baker Mayfield.
But it all worked out just fine for the 29-year-old receiver, who landed in a place that finally fit.
"They’ve made it seamless, with the meetings, the extra work. The very first game we played at San Francisco, the first play of the game was thrown my way," Beckham said of his debut in November with the Rams, with whom he signed as a free agent after his release from the Browns. "They’ve instilled confidence in me."
Beckham has returned the favor. Known for his brilliant play on the field and his controversy on and off it with the Giants, Beckham has been a major contributor with the Rams. All of it has been positive.
He caught nine passes for 113 yards in the Rams’ 20-17 win over the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game at SoFi Stadium on Sunday. Now it's on to The Big Show, as the Rams face the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi.
"I felt like this was the right place," Beckham said. "It’s truly an amazing moment."
After his release, Beckham got almost daily calls from Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey and then from Von Miller, who was traded from the Broncos to the Rams, to join the team.
"We talked about this," he said, "but I didn’t think it would be possible."
Beckham turned out to be just what the Rams needed after they lost Robert Woods to an ACL tear suffered in practice in November. Woods was an important No. 2 receiver behind Cooper Kupp, so Beckham’s signing was considered crucial for the Rams’ offense.
Beckham and quarterback Matthew Stafford, acquired in a blockbuster preseason trade with the Lions, quickly developed a chemistry.
"It’s everything you would hope and wish for," Beckham said of Stafford. "He motivated us and pushed us, one play at a time. All season since I’ve been here, he had that look on him. I know it was tough in Detroit for a lot of those years, so we’ve got to take full advantage of it."
Bob Glauber retired in 2022 after covering the NFL for nearly 40 years. He was selected in 2021 for the Bill Nunn Career Achievement Award by the Pro Football Writers of America, and is a three-time winner of the New York State Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. President of the PFWA for the 2018-20 seasons, he is the author of “The Forgotten First” and “Guts and Genius.”
