If the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking to create the NFL’s best roster from 2018, Odell Beckham Jr. could be the next name on Omar Khan’s list. Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Beckham is drawing “interest” from “several teams” and fully intends to play this season.
Pelissero doesn’t note the teams or how close Beckham could be to signing with a club. But given the Steelers’ lack of depth at receiver, it’s easy to connect the dots.
Though Pittsburgh has shown no reservations about adding older talent, Beckham is a far cry from the level of play CB Jalen Ramsey, CB Darius Slay, and even QB Aaron Rodgers still are. Beckham’s played just 23 games over the last three combined seasons, sitting out all of 2022 and hardly seeing the field in 2024. With the Miami Dolphins last season, he appeared in just nine games, catching nine passes for 55 yards and zero touchdowns. The team released him in December.
Beckham, turning 33 in November, is a three-time Pro Bowler and at his peak one of the NFL’s most dynamic receivers. He broke into the league as an elite talent, recording 1,300-plus yard seasons in each of his first three years. But he subsequently struggled with injuries and has only played 16 games in a season once since 2017. Beckham has bounced around the league, playing for the Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and Miami Dolphins since being traded by the New York Giants ahead of the 2019 season.
Pittsburgh has an established No. 1 receiver in DK Metcalf but there are serious questions beyond him. Calvin Austin III spent most of training camp injured while Roman Wilson went quiet for stretches. His play picked up throughout camp and he played well in the Steelers’ preseason opener, catching two passes, but neither player firmly established himself as a clear-cut No. 2 receiver in the offense. Ben Skowronek, Scotty Miller, or Robert Woods won’t fill that role either.
The Steelers have some connections with Beckham. Mike Tomlin has always praised Beckham’s talent and ability (sans one “yawn” when Beckham went to Cleveland). New CB Jalen Ramsey was teammates with Beckham in Los Angeles and Miami, and Beckham’s most recent success came in the AFC North in 2023 with the Baltimore Ravens. He finished the year with nearly 600 yards and three touchdowns although his impact against the Steelers was minimal. His most memorable moment came as the intended target on CB Joey Porter Jr.’s first career interception.
Earlier this year, Beckham Jr. teased conversations with Rodgers and the Steelers in an interview with Bill Maher’s Club Random.
If Beckham is drawing as much interest as Pelissero’s tweet indicates (and there’s little question the source is agent-driven), Beckham could soon find himself on a new team.
