Odell Beckham Jr.

Odell Beckham Jr. remains a free agent as he recovers from a torn ACL, but a reunion with the Los Angeles Rams isn't out of the question.

Rams Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff told The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue on Monday that he believes the sides will eventually come to an agreement.

"The one variable that hasn't changed is how much we love him and want him to be there," Demoff said. "I think he's expressed, over social, his desire to be here. Am I optimistic we can get a deal done over time? Yes."

Demoff said that the Rams "would've loved to" sign Beckham months ago "if we didn't have a salary cap." He also mentioned the unknown "variables" of whether Beckham would be seeking a deal for one year or more.

Beckham signed with the Rams on a one-year deal midway through the 2021 season and appeared in eight regular-season games. He was a key part of the team's playoff run, which culminated with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. Beckham injured his knee in the second quarter of that game, his second torn ACL in less than two years.

Demoff said he believed Beckham was purposefully taking his time before signing with a team as he focused on his recovery.

"With Odell, I think, given the rehab [and] the timeline of coming back probably mid-to-later in the year, I just think that the sense of urgency both from his side and probably from our side—and maybe other teams—is not right there, for him," Demoff said.

While there is still no timeline for when a deal will get done, Demoff said that there had already been some communication between the organization and Beckham's camp.

"Both sides have had [an] open dialogue, both sides [are] respectful, excited and couldn't be more grateful for what Odell did for our team last year—and the chance to meet him and watch him flourish in L.A.," Demoff said.

It is "unlikely" the Cleveland Browns will sign free-agent wideout Odell Beckham Jr., Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reported Wednesday.

No surprise there, as Beckham's stint with Cleveland ended when he was released in November after a falling-out with quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Beckham, a three-time Pro Bowler, never clicked with Mayfield, catching just 114 passes for 1,586 yards and seven touchdowns in 29 games across three seasons.

To put those numbers in perspective, Beckham caught 96 passes for 1,450 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2015, his best season, and averaged 1,095 yards per season in his five years with the New York Giants, which included a four-game campaign in 2017.

Shortly after his release from the Browns, Beckham signed with the Los Angeles Rams. He tore his ACL in the Super Bowl, though not before registering 21 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns in four postseason games, including a score in the Super Bowl.

While the Rams have Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson II and Van Jefferson at wideout, Beckham established a rapport with Matthew Stafford, and a return to Los Angeles seems to be a possibility.

Beckham even crashed Sean McVay's wedding over the weekend:

"'You crashed my wedding, you re-sign with the Rams then, man,'" McVay said he told Beckham.

It wasn't the first time McVay has stumped for Beckham.

"I really want Odell back on our team," he said on The Rich Eisen Show (h/t Coral Smith of NFL.com) in May. "He's a guy that, in a short amount of time, we were able to develop a really special relationship. I thought he brought a great spark to our team. I thought he played really well. He's a great teammate. Without a doubt, want to get Odell back here."

Whether that happens remains to be seen, but it feels far more likely than a reunion between Beckham and the Browns.

Odell Beckham Jr. is no longer a member of the Los Angeles Rams, but he still wanted to celebrate with his former head coach.

Sean McVay revealed on the I Am Athlete podcast that Beckham crashed his wedding. The coach explained it was difficult to come up with a guest list since he has coached so many players, and he ultimately decided just to invite the captains from last year's team and some retired players.

Yet Beckham crashed it, and McVay said, "I loved it."

McVay married his longtime girlfriend, Veronika Khomyn, in a celebration that included a Lombardi Trophy cake for the reigning Super Bowl champion.

The couple met when he was an assistant coach for the Washington Commanders and she was a student at George Mason University. They got engaged in 2019.

Beckham remains a free agent.

Count Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp among those who want free-agent wideout Odell Beckham Jr. back in L.A. next season.

During an appearance on ESPN's First Take on Friday (h/t Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire), Kupp discussed his desire to have Beckham back as a teammate in 2022:

"What he was able to do coming into this offense, learning it and then being able to go out and execute the way he did was absolutely incredible. But just as a person, as a teammate, how he was in our building, I would absolutely love nothing more than to just be able to have him come back and be a part of what we’re building here.

"I talk to him daily, being able to keep up with him. Would love to have him back. There's a lot of stuff that has to be worked through because of how terrible the unfortunate situation where he was gonna have an unbelievable game that Super Bowl, the way things were trending and the way the Bengals were playing us, the game plan we had in for him to be able to go off that game, it just kills me the way that whole thing worked out. But would absolutely love to have him back and I know our receiver room, I know the guys across the board would love to have him back in our building."

The Rams signed Beckham in November after he was waived by the Cleveland Browns, and he became a key part of L.A.'s offense for the remainder of the regular season and during their run to a Super Bowl victory.

Beckham's free agency has been complicated by the fact that he suffered a torn ACL during the Rams' Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals, meaning it is unlikely he will be ready to play at the start of the 2022 campaign.

In eight regular-season contests with the Rams, OBJ reeled in 27 receptions for 305 yards and five touchdowns. He was even better during the playoffs, with 21 grabs for 288 yards and two scores in four games.

As Kupp alluded to, Beckham scored the opening touchdown of the Super Bowl, although he was unable to finish the game due to injury.

The Rams made one major swap to their receiving corps this offseason, as they traded Robert Woods to the Tennessee Titans and signed former Chicago Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson.

As of now, Kupp and Robinson are in line to be the top two targets for quarterback Matthew Stafford, with downfield threat Van Jefferson serving as the No. 3 receiver.

The Rams have no imminent need for another wideout, although an injury to any of their top three receivers would change that since the rest of their receiving corps is unproven.

Beckham would be a luxury with Kupp, Robinson and Jefferson all healthy, but that simply means the Rams can afford to bring him along slowly in his rehab before utilizing him later in the season.

Given Beckham's familiarity with the Rams and the success he had with the team last season, re-signing with them may be his best option.

It stands to reason that other teams may be interested in the three-time Pro Bowler, but they would also have to exercise patience given the nature of his injury.

Beckham went from a luxury to a necessity last season as Woods was lost for the year right after Beckham signed, and it is possible that OBJ could find himself in a similar situation with the Rams this season.

Odell Beckham Jr. remains a free agent, but Rams coach Sean McVay hopes the wideout will be back in Los Angeles.

"I really want Odell back on our team. He's a guy that, in a short amount of time, we were able to develop a really special relationship. I thought he brought a great spark to our team. I thought he played really well. He's a great teammate," McVay told NFL Network's Rich Eisen on Thursday. "Without a doubt, want to get Odell back here. That's the goal and continuing to work toward a solution of him re-signing with the Rams."

Beckham played eight regular-season games with the Rams in 2021 after needling his way out of Cleveland. He recorded 27 receptions for 305 yards and five touchdowns before adding another 21 grabs for 288 yards and two scores during the playoffs. The three-time Pro Bowler suffered a torn ACL in the second quarter of the Rams' Super Bowl win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Matthew Stafford has also expressed interest in having Beckham return.

“I’ve been in contact with him, both checking on his knee, his new addition to his family, and just letting him know that we’d love to still have him,” Stafford told reporters. “It was an unbelievable blessing to get the chance to play with a talented player like that and honestly, such a great teammate."

Beckham's recovery from his ACL tear has led to a largely quiet market, as it's unlikely he'll be recovered in time for Week 1. The wideout said he wants to return to Los Angeles but can't do it "for free."

The Rams already reshuffled their wide receiver depth chart by trading Robert Woods to the Tennessee Titans and signing Allen Robinson. Woods, like Beckham, is coming off an ACL tear. 

It's overwhelmingly likely that Beckham winds up back in Los Angeles; it may just be a matter of pricing. The Rams are currently $17 million over the salary cap but have about $5.7 million to work with in practical terms, per Spotrac. The team likely wants to preserve that space for most of the summer in case a major contributor goes down with an injury, which could leave Beckham out in the cold for a couple more months.