Odell Beckham Jr. officially cleared waivers on Tuesday afternoon, making him a free agent for the first time in his career. If the polarizing receiver had been claimed by any team, they would've owed Beckham $7.25 million for the rest of 2021. Now, the Cleveland Browns will pay him $4.25 million, according to their settlement agreement.
Beckham, who recently turned 29, finds himself in a unique position to hand-pick his next destination. According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, Beckham wants to spend the remainder of this season with a championship contender and in a winning environment. So, which team should take a chance on him?
"If Odell wants to play somewhere where he's going to get a chance to get the ball, then dammit, go to Green Bay," JR said during Tuesday's edition of the JR SportBrief show. "Aaron Rodgers, he might be a liar, but he's still one of the best QB's who's ever played the game. I'll put it this way: if Odell can muster and deal with the cold, I'd go to Green Bay...
"How much does Odell have? How recovered is he? I don't think he's all the way back, but I think he's better than what he showed in Cleveland... I think Green Bay would be a solid landing spot for Odell. He wouldn't be No. 1, he'd still get his numbers, he'd have an opportunity to go to the playoffs and win."
The Browns officially waived Beckham on Monday afternoon, marking the end of a dramatic week that began with Beckham's father criticizing quarterback Baker Mayfield via social media last Tuesday. This incident prompted the team to excuse Beckham from practice on Wednesday and Thursday, and by Friday, they announced their plans to cut ties with him.
Beckham's tumultuous tenure with the Browns lasted just 29 games, and he amassed 114 catches for 1,586 yards with eight touchdowns. Since entering the NFL as a first-round pick in 2014, Beckham ranks 17th in receptions (504), 10th in receiving yards (7,210), and seventh in receiving touchdowns (51).
JR's complete thoughts on Beckham's future can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the JR SportBrief show on Twitter @JRSportBrief and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.