Ravens’ Odell Beckham Jr. makes pitch to Lamar Jackson to stay; GM says team only thinks of Jackson as QB1

Odell Beckham Jr. is officially a Raven. The star wide receiver put pen to paper on his contract that has him in Baltimore for the 2023 season, and the team formally introduced him Thursday. As you may imagine, the question that loomed over this entire press conference was who would be throwing Beckham the football this coming season, as Lamar Jackson’s future with the team is still unresolved. 

When word got out that Beckham was signing with the Ravens, it was revealed that Jackson was reportedly a key recruiter in ensuring he signed with the franchise and that it was with the understanding that he’d be the team’s quarterback in 2023. Jackson even shared a FaceTime screenshot of the two following Beckham and the Ravens agreeing to terms. 

Still, nothing has been set in stone between Jackson, who had the franchise tag placed on him this offseason, and the Ravens, as the two sides continue to have a tenuous relationship that recently even featured a trade request. During this press conference, Beckham noted that he “didn’t get any assurances for anything” regarding Jackson, but he still decided to make a public pitch for the quarterback to come back into the fold. 

“Lamar, if you’re watching, I would love to get to work with you,” Beckham said. “I’ll talk to these guys over here. Hopefully, that gets done. I think when you think about the Ravens, you definitely think about Lamar, and I know that that’s something I was excited about, that possibility. Life’s not certain, just to keep it short.”

“The goal was to come here and have that possibility to play with [Lamar Jackson],” Beckham added. “I’m excited about that opportunity.” 

As for the front office’s perspective, general manager Eric DeCosta noted during the press conference that the Ravens only think of Jackson as their QB1 and are still hopeful that a deal gets done. 

Meanwhile, this signing was truly one of the biggest surprises of the offseason. In the weeks leading up to Beckham signing with the Ravens, it appeared like the receiver was earmarked for the New York Jets since the team is knocking on the door of trading for Aaron Rodgers. However, Baltimore swooped in at the last second. 

“Sometimes the underdog wins,” said DeCosta.  

While admittedly surprising, this pursuit has been something the Ravens had been working on for quite some time. DeCosta noted that the team had been talking to Beckham’s camp since last October. It also attended Beckham’s workout last month and spent time with him in Arizona during the NFL owners meetings. 

“It’s good to be where you’re wanted,” Beckham said. “Like we’ve said, we’ve had communication since last October, and you guys showed me that you wanted me to be here and I was going to be a very big piece to this organization. I’m definitely excited about that.” 

Beckham missed all of last season after suffering a torn ACL during Super Bowl LVI as a member of the Rams. Before that, he continued to look like one of the NFL’s most feared players at the position, and it sounds like he’s chomping at the bit to pick up where he left off in Los Angeles. 

“I’ve been out for a long time,” Beckham said. “I had to sit there and watch everyone else play, and I’m just excited to get back on the field.”