Baltimore Ravens’ wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. suffered another injury on Sunday in the team’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He returned to the game but was limited, totaling two catches for 13 yards.
He had already missed the previous two weeks with a foot injury. Will we ever see elite play from the former All-Pro again?
Too Many Injuries
Beckham has played two full seasons since entering the league and has appeared in 53 of 98 possible games (54%) over the last six seasons.
He sat out all of the 2022 season rehabbing an ACL injury suffered in Super Bowl LVI as a member of the Los Angeles Rams.
OBJ has seven catches for 79 yards this season and zero touchdowns.
At 5 feet 11, OBJ’s elite athleticism made him one of the best receivers in the league the day he was drafted. He earned Rookie of the Year, three Pro-Bowl and two All-Pro honors. But without that incredible speed, quickness and agility he can’t play.
What Do The Ravens Do This Season?
He was brought into Baltimore to be an upgrade for QB Lamar Jackson, but OBJ might not play more than eight games this season, and the Ravens need to figure out how to get their offense in gear. They’re 26th in passing yards per game and 11th in offensive DVOA. Buoyed by their ground game.
“We had [the Steelers] beat. [On] offense, we had to find our groove; we didn’t find it,” said Jackson. “The defense played a great game — kept stopping, kept giving us opportunities. We’ve just got to do what we do [and] finish drives.”
The Ravens’ only signed OBJ to a one-year deal, so the team will be fine long term, but we’re already in Week 5 and it will be Thanksgiving before you know it.
The team’s defense is excellent, but the offense isn’t up to snuff, and that wil need to change if they hope to make a deep playoff run.
Like most athletes, OBJ is insanely competitive. Counting him out is dangerous. But the recent history doesn’t suggest a triumphant return. Soft tissue ailments and injuries to the lower extremities for the type of player he is almost always mean the end.
