Odell Beckham Jr.

Odell Beckham Jr. considered returning to his home state before he decided to join the Los Angeles Rams this season.

Beckham, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, told reporters Monday he was "very close" to signing with the New Orleans Saints following his departure from the Cleveland Browns.

"It just didn’t feel like the right time," he said. "Right place. Wrong time."

Beckham expressed a similar sentiment about the New England Patriots, confirming he spoke with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick:

The three-time Pro Bowler cleared waivers on Nov. 9 and ESPN's Dianna Russini reported one day later the Saints were emerging as one of three finalists to sign him.

Between growing up in the state and later playing for LSU, the opportunity to call New Orleans his professional home was probably tantalizing.

Competitively, though, the Saints didn't have a whole lot going for them at the time, at least for a player who presumably wanted to sign for a contender. Jameis Winston had been lost for the season to a torn ACL, so a 5-3 record was undercut by Trevor Siemian serving as the starting quarterback.

New Orleans wound up winning four of its final five games, but that wasn't enough to clinch a playoff berth.

The absence of Michael Thomas meant Beckham might have occupied a larger role in the Saints offense than he had with the Rams. In eight games with Los Angeles, he had 27 receptions for 305 yards and five touchdowns. His 38.1 receiving yards per game were more than half of his career average (76.7).

But Beckham didn't select the Rams because they could promise him the most touches. Instead, Los Angeles has provided him the collective success he couldn't attain with the Browns and New York Giants.

If the 29-year-old had to do his free agency all over again, it's difficult to see why he'd do anything differently.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is set to play in the Super Bowl for the first time in his career after joining the franchise earlier this season, and he told reporters Monday that he hasn't gotten any satisfaction out of proving people wrong following his release from the Cleveland Browns.

"No," Beckham said. "A younger me would have. ... I don't take satisfaction, it's not that deep for me because I know who I am."

Beckham had been doubted for much of his time in Cleveland. After recording more than 1,000 receiving yards during his first season with the Browns in 2019, the 29-year-old played just seven games in 2020 before suffering a torn ACL. He caught just 23 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns before being sidelined.

The former 12th overall pick entered the 2021 season with higher expectations, but he failed to reach them through the first half of the season in Cleveland. He caught just 17 passes for 232 yards and no touchdowns in six games.

Beckham's lack of production caught the ire of his father, who posted a video to Instagram highlighting times when Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield missed his son completely or didn't throw the ball to him when he was open.

ESPN's Jake Trotter reported that Beckham never apologized to Mayfield for his father's post, and the Browns released the wide receiver not too long after the incident.

Since joining the Rams on a one-year deal, Beckham has been on a tear, and he wasn't initially expected to have a significant impact. L.A. has plenty of depth at wide receiver with Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell. However, Woods tore his ACL at practice just days before Beckham was set to make his Rams debut, which opened up more of an opportunity for him.

The three-time Pro Bowler caught 27 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight regular season games, and he has been even better in the postseason. Through three playoff games, Beckham has 19 catches for 236 yards and a touchdown.

Beckham told reporters after he signed with the Rams that it "felt right in my heart and soul," and now he's the closest he's ever been to winning a Super Bowl, which is remarkable.