While fending off jet lag in London this week, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has spent time trying to figure out how to become a star again.
“I’ve just been sitting in my room while I’m trying to sleep … and I’ve just been thinking about it: How can I get back on track? How can I be the person that I know that I’m capable of being?” Beckham said Thursday, via The Associated Press. “I would absolutely love for that to start this Sunday.”
Beckham and the Ravens will take on the Tennessee Titans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday. But after sitting out the entire 2022 NFL season, Beckham’s return to prominence has been a slow-developing affair.
The Ravens signed Beckham this offseason to a one-year, $15 million contract this offseason with the hopes that he could become one of Lamar Jackson‘s go-to receivers. That hasn’t happened yet.
Beckham started Baltimore’s first two games, grabbing five passes for 66 yards combined but also suffering an ankle injury in the first half of the Week 2 game against the Bengals. After missing Weeks 3 and 4, Beckham returned — off the bench — Sunday against the Steelers, catching two passes for 13 yards, playing about half the Ravens’ offensive snaps in that game.
“Finding a way to feel like I can contribute to the team has been challenging,” said Beckham.
The player who was named the 2014 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and has been a Pro Bowler three times, hasn’t had a receiving season of 1,000 yards since his time with the Browns in 2019. His career commenced with the Giants, where he recorded a minimum of 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns in his initial three seasons. However, Beckham has not achieved these statistics since.
We last witnessed Beckham’s high-level performance during Super Bowl LVI. He was traded to Los Angeles during the 2021 season and contributed significantly to the Rams’ second-ever Super Bowl victory by catching a touchdown. However, that game also saw Beckham sustain a torn ACL, which side-lined him for the whole of the 2022 season.
Beckham has accumulated a total of 51 catches for 616 yards (12.1 average) and five TD catches in his last 17 regular-season games, beginning from the start of the 2021 NFL season.
Maybe the change in environment in London could help boost Beckham and the Ravens (3-2), who have been struggling recently, losing two out of their last three games. These were games that Baltimore had the potential to win but were hampered by Beckham’s limited contribution. The Ravens are currently 26th in the NFL for passing yards per game (189.0) and have only managed four touchdown passes. Only the Titans and Giants have thrown fewer touchdown passes this season.
Beckham expressed that he is in good spirits and optimistic about his ability to contribute more to the enhancement of this new offense.
“Even though there was a lot of traveling, I feel significantly improved this week,” stated Beckham. “It’s simply down to me to perform better and do whatever is necessary to help the team secure a win.”
From my daily energy levels to numerous other things, I feel a strong urge to improve. I simply need to accept and welcome this challenge, and be true to myself.
