Nov 26, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (3) reacts following the victory against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers
BALTIMORE — This year was supposed to be different for the Baltimore Ravens. But on Sunday – despite being the favorite, and playing at home – the Ravens saw a season end in crushing fashion, once again.
So what’s next? A few weeks off. Some time to reflect. Cry a little bit. Maybe you don’t leave your home for a few days.
But life goes on. The sun will come up. You will get out of bed. And you’ll move on. And so will the Ravens, as they will prepare for a long offseason filled with decisions on which players to bring back from a long list of crucial free agents.
One in particular? Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell, 31, was asked about a possible return to Baltimore next season.
“I mean, I absolutely love this place,” Beckham said. “I don’t know the political answer to that question, but I’ve enjoyed every single moment … This felt like a home. It felt amazing for me. The city of Baltimore … I wanted it for the city of Baltimore more than anything. I wanted them to be able to have that moment [when] we’re all standing on the field, and ‘The Bank’ [M&T Bank Stadium] is rocking, but [we] just came up short.”
Beckham, whos signed a one-year contract for $18 million with the Ravens this offseason after missing the previous season due to a torn ACL, says he learned one thing in particular this season.
“To me, if there is anything I felt about myself — regardless of anybody’s opinion or anything like that — is that I know that I can still play football, and I know that I still have [stuff] in the tank,” Beckham said. “It’s just unfortunate — the way that it went today — because, to me, it’s so much bigger than one person in this room; it was [about] just being able to have that moment with these guys you’ve worked so hard with. So, for me, as far as my future, [I’ll] just take a step back, breathe for a second, pick [my] chin up, just know that life goes on, and we’ll figure out what’s next after that.”
Despite an underwhelming statistical season (35 REC, 565 Yards, 3 TD), Beckham proved he could still play at the highest level. He started, stayed healthy and showed immense growth as a leader. While the stats were career lows, Beckham heads into the off-season a winner.
