FILE – Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. stands for the national anthem before the team’s NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Dec. 13, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. Beckham will kick off what is anticipated to be a three-city free agency tour when he meets Thursday, Dec. 1, with the New York Giants, the team that drafted him in 2014. Beckham is expected to talk with coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen. Team surgeons also are expected to examine his left knee. (AP Photo/Jeff Lewis, File) (Jeff Lewis, AP)

April 9, 2023 at 6:15 p.m.

Throughout the offseason, the Jets targeted wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., with the hopes of him playing with Aaron Rodgers once that trade is completed.

After Sunday’s news, that won’t happen as Beckham agreed to a contract with another AFC team instead.

Beckham has agreed to a one-year, $18 million deal with the Ravens, according to a source. The deal includes $15 million guaranteed (a $13.835 million signing bonus and $1.165 million base salary) and he can earn up to $18 million with $3 million in incentives.

That is way more money than most league sources expected OBJ to get on the open market.

Beckham was scheduled to visit with the Jets on Monday as he was expected to fly to New Jersey late Sunday night. He was going to take a physical and chat with the Jets coaching staff about what they envisioned his role to be.

With the Jets meeting on the horizon, the Ravens felt pressured to get a deal done immediately. That’s likely why Baltimore upped the ante and guaranteed Beckham $15 million.

The Giants were willing to re-sign Beckham cheaply and lingered as he initially struggled to receive satisfactory offers.

But Beckham eventually successfully leveraged the Ravens’ and Jets’ interest to get paid.

His signing in Baltimore was definitely about a payday, but there is a belief Beckham also has faith that he will be catching passes from Lamar Jackson as a Raven despite the QB’s current standoff with the team.

The Jets’ rumored interest in Beckham began when Aaron Rodgers said he “intends” to play for the Jets in 2023. There were reports about Rodgers giving the Jets a wish list of players he wanted the team to sign or acquire when the team met with him in California in early March. However, Rodgers said there was no wish list as the team just asked him about certain players as Beckham was one of them.

Then last month at the NFL Annual Meetings in Phoenix, Beckham had an informal meeting with Jets owner Woody Johnson, general manager Joe Douglas and coach Robert Saleh. The Ravens also formally met with Beckham at the annual meetings in late March.

Beckham missed the entire 2022 season as he was still recovering from the ACL injury he suffered as a member of the Rams in Super Bowl LVI. There was talk about Beckham possibly joining several clubs midseason, but he remained unsigned.

Since his first five seasons with the Giants, when he caught 390 passes for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns, Beckham has struggled to stay on the field. In 2019, Beckham was traded to the Browns and his production began to slip. After registering a 74-catch, 1,035-yard season, Beckham tore his ACL in 2020.

He returned in 2021, but after catching 17 passes for 232 yards, the Browns released him. That’s when the Rams signed Beckham, who was instrumental in helping them win their first Super Bowl since 1999. In eight games, Beckham finished with 27 receptions for 305 yards and five touchdowns.

Where the Jets go from here at receiver remains to be seen. However, Beckham was always going to be a luxury signing for Gang Green as it signed Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman earlier this offseason to team up with Garrett Wilson. The Jets also still have Corey Davis on their roster, although he has been rumored to be released or traded as they could save $10.5 million.

With Pat Leonard

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