OWINGS MILLS, Md. — It is the most high profile free agent signing in team history. Now Odell Beckham Jr. is officially a Raven.
The wide receiver put pen to paper on a one-year contract Thursday worth up to a reported $18 million.
"I’m just excited. I’m excited, but I’m also very determined and hungry, so through the smiles there’s still this eye that, I really want this badly. I’m ready to be great," he said.
The 30-year-old is entering his ninth NFL season, but he missed all of last year after tearing his ACL in the Super Bowl in February 2022. The three-time Pro Bowler, two-time second-team All-Pro was brought in to bolster last season’s least productive receiver group in the league.
"It means a lot more to be wanted than someone would love to have you. And that was this situation," he said. "It wasn’t about so much money. It wasn’t about anything. It was that they showed that they wanted me."
"Where we are as a team right now, this was the guy that we felt could help take us to the next level," said Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta.
But who will be throwing him the football come week one? Beckham said he was given no assurances that his quarterback would be Lamar Jackson.
"[I] didn’t get any assurances for anything. Life is uncertain. [I'm] excited about the possibility of that. My thoughts would be that he would be here. I know that these two (DeCosta and head coach John Harbaugh) want him to be here."
It's safe to say OBJ wants him there as well.
"I would assume that it’s going to work out. I have that faith and that hope and Lamar, I don’t know if you’re watching. I would love to get to work with you. I’ll talk to these guys over here," said Beckham as he waved to the cameras.
Jackson remains a free agent. The Ravens used the non-exclusive franchise tag on him after he requested a trade last month. The two sides have not been able to agree on a new long-term contract.
DeCosta said he has not spoken with Jackson since the Beckham signing. But, he also said negotiations are ongoing.
"Lamar is in our plans. We love Lamar. Our feelings about Lamar have not changed one bit since the end of the season. We are hopeful still that we will get a long-term deal done. He is the right player for this team to lead us where we want to be," DeCosta said. "I can’t think of a situation where we wouldn’t think that our best team is with Lamar Jackson on the team in September."
DeCosta added he has communicated with Jackson since he requested a trade on March 2 and said he only thinks of Lamar as the quarterback of the Ravens.
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