Aaron Rodgers's Packers were considered one of the favorites to land Odell Beckham Jr. after he cleared waivers following his release from the Browns until the Rams swooped in and added the two-time All-Pro.
Beckham made his L.A. debut on Monday Night Football and caught a pair of passes for 18 yards in the team's surprising 31–10 defeat at the hands of the 49ers.
Rodgers led the Packers to a 17–0 win over the Seahawks in his return from COVID-19. On Tuesday, he made his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show and confirmed that he was in contact with Beckham last week. He considers the newest Rams receiver a friend and thought Green Bay had a good chance to land him but respects his decision to head out West.
“We’ve been friends for a long time and kept in touch and met him at some events and, just, you know, sent encouraging messages during the seasons over the years,” Rodgers said. “When he became free, there was definitely conversations. And I was, you know, in the conversation with him directly. And then, obviously, I have been friends with him. So I didn’t need to get put on the phone by anybody else. I could just get a hold of him directly."
Rodgers, who has reportedly had issues with the Packers' lack of aggressiveness in pursuing offensive weapons over the last few years, said that he appreciated the team getting in on the Beckham sweepstakes.
“But there were conversations with the organization as well and I appreciated the fact that we were in the mix. It just comes down to fit, ultimately, and what the best fit is for him," Rodgers said. "We had some real good, honest conversations. I’m excited for him in L.A. I thought that there was definitely some things that lined up, you know, him coming to Green Bay. But ultimately, he took time to decide where he wanted to be and it turned out to be L.A.”
Rodgers defended Beckham after a quiet first game with the Rams.
“I wouldn’t judge one performance,” he said. “He obviously had some plays that he felt good about, but he wasn’t playing, you know, most of the fourth quarter when they were in no huddle stuff. So obviously, he has some ways to go learning the offense. It's a similar offense that we run. It's not one that you can really jump in at certain positions and know it right away.”
Beckham played just 15 snaps last night, catching two of his three targets from Matthew Stafford.
Rams coach Sean McVay confirmed that his new wide receiver will take some time to adjust to the system.
“I think for Odell to even be able to get out there and line up is a real credit to him. We didn’t even have one full-speed practice with him. So, these next 12 days will be really important to get him implemented, get him up to speed, and figure out a plan of attack to maximize our offensive players, and to play better than the way that we have these last couple of weeks," McVay said Tuesday, per ProFootballTalk. "That’s where my focus and concentration will be over the next few days.”
After a bye, Beckham's next game will come against his friend and the Packers. The two teams will face off at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 28.
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