Update: 3:04 PM — Beckham told The Pivot Podcast that he is accepting a six-game suspension for PEDs in a violation from the 2024 season. Adam Schefter reports that will appear on the NFL transaction sheet today, which means he won’t be available to play until Week 12 at the earliest.
Read the original story below.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could need reinforcements at wide receiver following Calvin Austin III’s recent injury—and even when he’s healthy, some still think it’s a concern. Odell Beckham Jr. is available and still has the Steelers on his radar as he seeks to continue his NFL career.
“I don’t know if this is even a pitch, I’m just like, I look at the L.A. Rams. I look at the Steelers—I know was it Calvin Austin, right? He kind of just, something was happening,” Beckham said referring to Austin’s shoulder injury on The Pivot Podcast. “The Chiefs. And you definitely gotta see me back in that blue thing right before I get outta here. It’s my creed to those fans.”
This isn’t the first time Beckham has been linked to the Steelers. There was pretty strong media buzz about the possibility throughout the offseason, especially after George Pickens was dealt to the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh didn’t draft a receiver to backfill his role.
He also teased conversations he had with Aaron Rodgers about the Steelers during an appearance on Bill Maher’s Club Random earlier this year.
Beckham turns 33 years old next month, and he hasn’t played much football as of late. He has only started six games over the last three seasons, all for the Baltimore Ravens. He had just nine receptions for 55 yards on 18 targets with the Miami Dolphins in 2024 while appearing in nine games.
He doesn’t view it as diminished skills on his end, but rather a lack of opportunities to show his talent in the later stages of his career.
“It didn’t go away, just my opportunity to show it went away,” Beckham said about his lack of production in recent years. “When the opportunity for me to show it went away, I played myself by allowing me to be like—so then when the opportunity did come, I wasn’t ready. Because I was already blowed. I was already mad.”
Beckham made it clear that he does not intend to retire yet, and that he is keeping himself ready physically for whatever opportunity arises.
Austin’s injury doesn’t seem as serious as initially feared, so that probably wouldn’t factor into any Beckham interest. But if the team finds itself in a bind later in the season, perhaps Beckham’s experience comes into play. It probably wouldn’t hurt to have Jalen Ramsey or Aaron Rodgers to vouch for him, either.
