Appearing on teammate Marlon Humphrey’s podcast, the current Raven spoke about his recent free-agency decision
Odell Beckham Jr. was very, very close to becoming a New York Jet in 2023.
Appearing on the “Punch Line Podcast” with teammate Marlon Humphrey, the former Giant and current Raven spoke about his recent free agency and how he came to his decision.
“I think in my heart I was set to go back to New York and be a Jet. Long story short, I remember getting the call over the weekend. They were like, ‘This is the Ravens, this is our offer, what is it going to take for you not to take that visit?’ Chopped it up. They said ‘If you do get on that plane, just know that the offer is off the table.'”
"In my heart, I was set to go back to New York and be a Jet" – OBJ
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— Punch Line Podcast (@punchlinepod44) January 14, 2024
Beckham said New York was where he wanted to be throughout the process, and that at one point, he even had a jersey number picked out already.
“My heart desired to be in New York again. To be able to, you know, whether there’s marketing money, the Jets, and it’s kind of like, I even had the number picked out. I’m DMing the punter, or whoever it was at the time, like, ‘Hey, let me buy that off you.’ I’m set in stone, like, this is where I’m going.”
Beckham also spoke about the Jets’ perspective on the negotiation process.
“They just kind of slow-played the offer or felt disrespected. They just kind of thought they had it in the bag, that they were the best team, and that it would be a privilege for me to be over there. I think it’s that quote, go where you’re celebrated, not tolerated.”
If the comments from Beckham are to be taken at face value, it offers an interesting view into how the Jets handled their negotiations with the receiver.
With the addition of Aaron Rodgers, New York saw itself as a premier destination for players. They felt that the quarterback immediately made them one of the league’s appealing landing spots and apparently carried themselves as such in negotiations. In this case, Rodgers’ presence alone wasn’t enough to lure in a top free agent. Baltimore reportedly outbid the Jets for Beckham and he elected to take the better offer, with the Jets declining an opportunity to match it.
We will see if the Jets approach free agency differently in 2024.
