Not expressing concern about Odell Beckham Jr.‘s status, Mike McDaniel will nevertheless see his preferred No. 3 wide receiver out of action for a while to start the season. Beckham is staying on the PUP list to open the year, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report.
The free agency addition underwent an unspecified procedure before signing with the Dolphins, according to NFL.com, and he will miss the first four games as a result. OBJ signed a one-year, $3MM Miami deal, but his role as Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle‘s top sidekick is on hold.
Injuries have moved Beckham well off the superstar tier he once populated. Looking like a future Hall of Fame candidate early in his Giants career, the 2014 first-round pick saw a 2017 season-ending injury begin a run of health issues. Most notably, Beckham has suffered two ACL tears. The first ended his 2020 season; the second knocked him out of Super Bowl LVI and then led to his missing all of the 2022 season. While OBJ returned for a fairly productive Ravens season, the team did not prioritize re-signing him.
It remains unclear what injury Beckham is rehabbing. He played in 14 Ravens regular-season games and both playoff contests last season, hauling in 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns. Beckham played better down the stretch, but the Ravens kept his snap count in a reasonable range. Beckham, 31, played just 50% of Baltimore’s offensive snaps.
Beckham did battle a shoulder injury with the Ravens; he missed Weeks 3 and 4 due to injury but did not miss another game for health reasons. The Dolphins signed off on Beckham knowing about the procedure, so it is clear they are preparing a ramp-up period.
Miami wideout River Cracraft is also battling an issue, leaving the Dolphins shorthanded behind their high-priced starters. Braxton Berrios and Malik Washington, a sixth-round rookie, are healthy options behind the big two. Beckham will hope to take his place as Miami’s third receiver regular come October.