NFC East

Free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and the Dallas Cowboys met Monday evening to "find common ground on basic terms and timing" regarding a potential contract.

That news is per CBS Sports' Josina Anderson, who provided more information and context:

Beckham is recovering from a torn ACL suffered during last year's Super Bowl when he was a member of the Los Angeles Rams. He recently visited the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills as he rehabs and works to determine his next steps.

Dallas has made no secret of its interest in Beckham, but public concern has risen about when he could return to the lineup.

ESPN's Ed Werder released this report on Dec. 6:

NFL Network's Jane Slater followed up with another report on Dec. 7, noting the reasoning for why Beckham left Dallas without a deal in place:

The 30-year-old Beckham has been one of the game's most electric talents at his best. Unfortunately, he's suffered two torn ACL's and a broken ankle since 2017.

Beckham has still been productive when called upon since opening his career with a trio of Pro Bowl appearances, and he notably had 21 catches for 288 yards and two scores in the playoffs for the Rams.

In the interim, Dallas has signed another free agent veteran wide receiver in T.Y. Hilton, the former Indianapolis Colts star who made four Pro Bowls in his 10 NFL seasons. He had 23 catches for 331 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games last year.

Owner Jerry Jones went on 105.3 The Fan and explained what the Hilton signing meant relative to Beckham:

For now, the Cowboys will go forth with its leading wideout trio of CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup and Noah Brown with Hilton now helping out that core. The 10-3 squad will now visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Attorneys Lisa Banks and Debra Katz wrote a letter to House Committee on Oversight and Reform ranking member James Comer demanding that "sexualized and salacious photographs" of ex-Washington Commanders cheerleaders be removed from all official Congressional records.

Per ESPN's John Keim and Tisha Thompson, Banks and Katz wrote the letter on behalf of over three dozen ex-cheerleaders and stated that they were "humiliated and incensed by the GOP's reckless dissemination of these photographs."

Rebecca Shabad and Michael Kosnar of NBC News noted the attorneys are asking that the photos get erased from any congressional servers, websites and the Congressional Record, if applicable.

The letter is in response to a memo sent by Republicans after the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform released its official report following an investigation into what they called the Commanders' "decades-long toxic workplace culture."

As Keim and Thompson noted, the photographs "were originally sent by the team's former general manager and team president Bruce Allen to former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden and several other men" via email. Fifty-seven emails were included in the memo sent by Republicans to GOP staff members and media outlets.

NBC News provided more information regarding the photographs in the memo:

"Republicans released the 210-page memo last week that featured explicit photos of the former cheerleaders. Their lawyers said Tuesday that the images, 'which show women's breasts, buttocks and genital areas, were disseminated without the women's permission.' (The GOP report put black boxes over the women's faces and some body parts.)."

Banks told ESPN that including the photos was "outrageous and "unnecessary, inappropriate and unprofessional."

A Committee Republican aide told ESPN "the pictures are not, and won't be, part of the Congressional record."

As for the report, the committee found that "dozens of employees at the Commanders were harmed by a toxic work culture for more than two decades," and that team owner Dan Snyder "permitted and participated in this troubling conduct," among other findings.

The Dallas Cowboys haven't ruled out a deal with free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham after signing T.Y. Hilton on Monday.

"He's a WR I think would fit any team," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said during an appearance on Shan & RJ on Audacy's 105.3 The Fan (Dallas) on Tuesday (h/t Jon Machota of The Athletic). "There's gonna be continued interest in Odell."

That confirms a report by CBS Sports' Josina Anderson, who said Monday that the Cowboys "feel unsure of how long the tail-end of Odell Beckham Jr.'s current rehab will specifically take" but that they're "still talking" with Beckham's representatives.

It was easy to connect the dots once the Hilton signing was announced.

ESPN's Ed Werder reported on Dec. 6 that Dallas was worried Beckham's recovery from a torn ACL would effectively cost him the entire season, including the playoffs. The team that signs him may not start to see a return on its investment until 2023.

Having met with Beckham during the three-time Pro Bowler's visit with the team, Cowboys star Micah Parsons said OBJ communicated how he expected to be out for another five weeks. That timeline set the playoffs as the earliest he might get on the field.

A day after Werder's report, NFL Network's Jane Slater reported there might be too many uncertainties for the Cowboys when it comes to Beckham:

Not only has he not played since his second significant ACL injury, but the 30-year-old also hasn't worked out for any interested suitors. Agreeing to a deal would require a leap of faith.

From the Cowboys' perspective, you might as well keep all of your options open.

Even assuming the version of Beckham who lit up the NFL to open his career is gone for good, he showed in his brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams he can be effective as a secondary option. He caught 21 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns during their playoff run.

But it seems clear Dallas isn't willing to pull out all the stops to make this partnership happen right now. Jones, however, just isn't ready to rule out a potential move completely.

The ongoing courtship between the Dallas Cowboys and free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. appears to have reached its end, as the Cowboys are reportedly bringing in a veteran pass-catcher.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Jane Slater reported that Dallas reached an agreement with receiver T.Y. Hilton on Monday. The 33-year-old had played 10 years with the Indianapolis Colts and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection.

The addition of Hilton gives the Cowboys the extra offensive weapon they need as the playoffs approach. But where does that leave Beckham?

Here are the top remaining landing spots for the 30-year-old now that Dallas is likely no longer in the running.

Buffalo Bills

Beckham undoubtedly wants to join a contender to win another championship as he did with the Los Angeles Rams last season in Super Bowl LVI. He should look no further than the top team in the AFC.

The Buffalo Bills remained in the No. 1 spot after Sunday's gritty win over the New York Jets. At 10-3, Buffalo is one of the favorites to compete for a Super Bowl title this year, but the team could still use another target for star quarterback Josh Allen.

The Bills have one of the best receivers in the league in Stefon Diggs, who leads the team with 94 receptions, 1,239 yards and 10 touchdowns. However, no other player on the team has 40 catches. Allen's over-reliance on Diggs can come back to haunt Buffalo if teams focus their defense on him.

Adding Beckham to the mix would help take some attention off Diggs. For what it's worth, last month Beckham named the Bills as one of four teams he'd be interested in joining after he completed his recovery from a torn ACL.

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers are the hottest team in the NFL, earning their sixth straight victory on Sunday with a blowout over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, star receiver Deebo Samuel went down with an ankle injury during the game, putting his status in question for the next few weeks.

Beckham could be the perfect option to fill in for Samuel if he misses extended time. If both are able to be on the field together, it would add a different dimension to an already dynamic 49ers offense.

San Francisco lost veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for at least the remainder of the regular season because of a broken foot. Rookie signal-caller Brock Purdy proved he can steer the ship in the interim with a three-touchdown performance (two passing, one rushing) against the Bucs.

The 49ers could look to add Beckham as another reliable target for the seventh-round pick as they charge toward the postseason.

Kansas City Chiefs

After losing star wide receiver Tyreek Hill this offseason, the Kansas City Chiefs have had to adjust on offense. However, perennial MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes still has the Chiefs on the cusp of a seventh straight AFC West title.

While Mahomes has been able to make up for Kansas City's deficiencies throughout the regular season, cracks have begun to show. In Sunday's win over the Denver Broncos, he threw three touchdown passes but also had a season-high three interceptions.

The Chiefs had been hoping free-agent additions JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling would be able to make up for the absence of Hill. They've combined to reach the end zone just four times through 13 games. All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce remains the top target in Kansas City's passing attack.

Beckham would provide Mahomes with another option in the explosive Chiefs offense. He could also open things up for Smith-Schuster and Valdes-Scantling. The three-time Pro Bowler would likely have a ton of fun playing in Andy Reid's scheme.

New York Giants

It's never too late to come home. In Beckham's case, a reunion with the team he started his NFL career with would come at a perfect time.

At 7-5-1, the New York Giants are clinging to the seventh seed in the NFC and could surely use a boost as the regular season winds down. New York is 0-3-1 in its last four games and has dealt with injuries to multiple receivers throughout the year.

Darius Slayton leads the Giants with 608 receiving yards, while Richie James leads the team's wide receivers with 38 receptions and three touchdowns. Quarterback Daniel Jones ranks near the bottom of the league with 194.9 passing yards per game. Clearly, New York's air attack could use an injection of energy.

Beckham has appeared to be open to rejoining the Giants, and he had a "good dinner" with head coach Brian Daboll earlier this month. A return to New York would give him the opportunity to be a key contributor to the team's push for the playoffs.

On Monday, the Dallas Cowboys reportedly signed veteran wideout T.Y. Hilton, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

With the Cowboys in the hunt for veteran free agent Odell Beckham Jr., Hilton's signing naturally came as a bit of a surprise. So what does it all mean?

The Cowboys Signing Beckham Feels Less Likely Now

Dallas adding a veteran wide receiver is going to lead to natural speculation that the team is moving on from Beckham:

It's hard to ignore the timing of Hilton's signing, as he's a player the Cowboys easily could have added earlier in the season.

On Sunday, Rapoport wrote that Beckham visited with the Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and New York Giants last week and "all parties are currently in a holding pattern while Beckham is at home considering his options."

Rapoport added: "The teams involved are moving forward with what they currently have, knowing that if Beckham came on board, he wouldn't help on the field for at least another month."

Hilton addresses a need for depth at wideout in Dallas. But...

His Signing Doesn't Outright End the Beckham Pursuit

At least according to CBS Sports' Josina Anderson:

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones also said Sunday the team wasn't pulling out of the Beckham sweepstakes.

"Not at all," he told reporters. "Put a big exclamation on that. That's all I got on that."

Beckham is 30; Hilton is 33. Beckham made a tangible and positive impact for the Los Angeles Rams in the postseason last year (21 catches for 288 yards and two scores); Hilton looked well past his prime last season (23 catches for 331 yards and three scores in 10 games for the Indianapolis Colts).

The point, quite simply, is that Beckham is much better than Hilton at this point in their respective careers. Hilton offers the Cowboys some help now, but Beckham would still be the better addition.

The Beckham Saga Isn't Going Away Anytime Soon

Beckham's future has been one of the bigger off-field stories in recent weeks, and Hilton's signing added another layer of intrigue to the situation.

Had the Cowboys signed Beckham instead Monday, well, poof. Story over. But if the Cowboys were the presumed favorites before the Hilton signing, the door appears to be wide-open for other teams now.

Perhaps Beckham will end up a Cowboy in the end. But for now, this story—and all of the reports and buzz that naturally follow—has not yet reached its conclusion.

Former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has agreed to a deal with the Dallas Cowboys.

According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Hilton's deal has a max value of $1.5 million:

Head coach Mike McCarthy said Monday, per Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports, that Hilton has a chance to play in Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Cowboys have been heavily linked with another free-agent wideout, Odell Beckham Jr. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that Dallas and other teams in the hunt "are currently in a holding pattern while Beckham is at home considering his options."

It's also unclear when the three-time Pro Bowler will be ready to play as he continues to recover from the torn ACL he suffered last season.

The Cowboys might consider Hilton an insurance policy in case Beckham signs with another team or can't play this year.

The 32-year-old said after the 2021 season he was going to take his time making a decision on his future in the NFL and consult longtime teammate Jack Doyle, per the team's website:

"That's something, take some time, talk to Jack and just go through it. If I want to play one more year, I could play one more year. If not, then I won't. So just talk to him, see what he's feeling, and once he makes his decision I'll know what I want to do kind of based on him, whether it's here, whether it's somewhere else. I'll make my decision some time in the offseason."

Hilton had spent his entire 10-year career with the Colts, which selected him in the third round of the 2012 draft. So it's quite surprising that he opted to sign elsewhere.

While his best seasons are behind him, he's still an effective contributor. In 10 games during the 2021 campaign, he caught 23 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns. His receiving yards ranked fourth on the team behind those of Michael Pittman Jr., Zach Pascal and Jonathan Taylor.

The FIU product recorded more than 1,000 receiving yards in four straight seasons from 2013 to '16. He also had more than 1,000 yards during the 2018 season and was a Pro Bowler from 2014 to '17.

Hilton's best season came in 2016, when he caught 91 passes for 1,448 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games.

The Washington Commanders activated quarterback Carson Wentz from the Reserve/Injured list on Monday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Wentz has been sidelined since breaking his ring finger in the Commanders' Oct. 13 win over the Chicago Bears.

At the time of Wentz's injury, the Commanders were 2-4. Since, with Taylor Heinicke taking over as the starter, the team has gone 6-1-1.

Suffice to say, Washington has already made it clear that Heinicke, 29, will remain the starter going forward.

"We're going to go with Taylor, and we'll work Carson back in and see where Carson is in terms of if he's ready to be the backup, then we'll go from there," head coach Ron Rivera told reporters in late November.

When asked further why he was making that decision, Rivera answered simply: "Winning."

The 29-year-old Wentz struggled in his six starts this season, throwing for 1,489 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 62.1 percent of his passes and taking 23 sacks.

Contrast that to Heinicke, who in his seven starts has only thrown for 1,444 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions, completing 61.8 percent of his passes, but has only taken 14 sacks.

"I get it, I get it. It's part of the business," Wentz told reporters in late November regarding Rivera naming Heinicke the starter going forward. "I totally understand where we are at as a team and everything else. Obviously, as a competitor, you want to be out there. ... But at the same time, I have a great relationship with Taylor and all the guys. I've been happy to see him succeed in what he's been able to do."

For Washington, it's simple—why mess with a good thing? The Commanders (7-5-1) are the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs, with key matchups against the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys looming.

It's a tough stretch to close out the season, and it's no surprise that they'll be sticking with Heinicke to guide them through it.