Before the championship-or-bust Los Angeles Rams literally defended home turf in Super Bowl 56, Odell Beckham Jr. dropped a hint about his future. The star receiver told reporters that the city "feels like a home," and he'd sacrifice salary to remain with the franchise next season.
Whether or not he wears blue and gold again next fall, Beckham can at least call himself a champion. The Rams captured their first Super Bowl title since 1999 on Sunday, outlasting the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, at SoFi Stadium. The whirlwind of emotions couldn't have been more unique for Beckham, as he caught the game's first touchdown pass and then suffered a non-contact, game-ending knee injury late in the first half. Pain and sorrow dulled by joy.
"He was just so happy he was finally able to win it -- believing he made the right choice in choosing the Rams of all the teams he could've signed with," NBC Sports LA reporter Michael Duarte told After Hours with Amy Lawrence on Monday. "Had they not won, obviously there'd be more sad tears. But once you realize he literally put it all on the line, his body, we all know OBJ's injury history. The path he's had to take to get to this level and point.
"Starting off with an amazing touchdown catch for the Rams' first score, a couple other big plays later in the game, to then have to come out after all that, and then see it was worth it -- because you won the game -- was huge. OBJ told me earlier this week during media availability that he foresaw himself catching a touchdown in the Super Bowl. And sure enough, he got the first one of the game."
The Rams drew first blood midway through the first quarter, capping off a six-play, 50-yard drive with a 17-yard pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford to Beckham in the lower-right corner of the end zone. In celebration, Beckham showed off with a moonwalk. Two drives later, Beckham racked up a 35-yard completion after two Bengals defenders collided, and the possession ended with an 11-yard touchdown strike from Stafford to stud wideout Cooper Kupp.
Beckham didn't make another play following that drive. With four minutes left in the second quarter, his left leg got caught in the artificial turf while running a pattern, and he immediately went down in pain. Although he walked off the field under his own power, he was officially ruled out during the third quarter. The knee injury is a major concern for Beckham, who tore that same ACL in 2020. After the game, Beckham tweeted out in all caps, "THIS WAS EXACTLY GODS PLAN." The Rams have yet to announce the severity of his injury.
The entire Super Bowl 56 conversation between Duarte and Lawrence can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow After Hours With Amy Lawrence on Twitter @ALawRadio and @AfterHoursCBS, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.