Ahead of taking the field on gameday for the first time since Super Bowl LVI, Odell Beckham Jr. shared his thoughts recently on the anticipation surrounding his return to the NFL.
As is often the case for players of Beckham’s stature, questions concerning their ability to return to their once-elite form have persisted the loudest, outside noise the Ravens receiver told ESPN’s Jamison Henley he’s aware of but not allowing to affect him.
“I’m excited, but I’m also very determined and hungry,” Beckham told Henley in an interview released Saturday. “So through the smiles there’s still this, ‘I really want this badly.’ I’m ready to be great, ready to be excellent again.”
Three months removed from signing a one-year, $15 million contract with Baltimore, Beckham made it clear he’s eager to prove to himself and any doubters that he’s still the same player he was prior to the torn ACL that sidelined him for all of 2022.
With a few months remaining until Week 1, OBJ will soon have an opportunity to show how far he’s come through his extensive rehab. But, until then, the 30-year-old intends to stay focused on his preparation with unwavering confidence.
“The doubts are for whoever has them to have them, but it’s not what enters my mind and my body,” Beckham said. “I know what I can do.”
A three-time Pro Bowler and two-time second-team All-Pro, Beckham has a chance to log his sixth 1,000-yard season as a potential go-to target of Lamar Jackson. According to ESPN Stats & Info, such a campaign would make Beckham the sixth receiver in NFL history, and the first in seven years, to produce 1,000 yards after missing a full year.
