When Odell Beckham Jr. arrived in Cleveland, it was a move that was supposed to bolster a suddenly talented Browns roster. And while his 2020 season was cut short with an ACL injury, Beckham has basically been an afterthought in the Browns offense since returning for 2021. He has just 17 receptions for 232 yards and no touchdowns.
It’s gotten to the point where that understandable frustration is starting to play out publicly. And Beckham even has the support of LeBron James in his corner.
Ahead of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, Beckham Jr.’s father shared an extended highlight video showing Baker Mayfield missing opportunities to connect with Beckham Jr. throughout this season. The timing and implication were pretty clear.
The father of #Browns Odell Beckham Jr. posted an 11 minute video on Instagram today. The video showed multiple times that QB Baker Mayfield missed Odell Beckham Jr. Was also active in comments. pic.twitter.com/oFbJl4ExA9
— Brad Stainbrook (@BrownsByBrad) November 2, 2021
That’s not the kind of post you’d see from someone who doesn’t want to get traded. And shortly after that video hit social media, LeBron joined the chorus of fans asking the Browns to trade OBJ.
OBJ will show again why he’s special. WR1 #FreeOBJ
— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 2, 2021
He posted that Beckham will have a chance to show why he’s special and added the hashtag, “#FreeOBJ.”
The problem for Beckham, though, is that it might be awfully difficult for the Browns to find a suitor even if they wanted to trade the former Pro Bowl receiver. His contract and lack of production may keep teams away despite Beckham’s obvious star power.
The Browns will have until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to trade Beckham, and we already know what LeBron is hoping for.
