Odell Beckham Jr's future in doubt as Ravens eye Michael Thomas as replacement
Despite helping the Baltimore Ravens win the AFC North, Odell Beckham Jr might find himself without a team soon.
The star wide receiver joined the Ravens on a one-year contract in April 2023 and played a key role in getting them to the AFC Championship game in January. In the past season, the 31 year old played in 14 games, starting six of them.
He made 35 catches for 565 yards and scored three touchdowns, making him the second-best on the team. However, he managed to set a personal best with an average of 16.1 yards per catch.
But his performance didn't meet expectations, leading ESPN to suggest that the Ravens are unlikely to offer him a new contract. It's thought that the Ravens are looking for another experienced wide receiver, and many scouts have named Michael Thomas as a potential replacement.
Thomas, who was named Offensive Player of the Year in 2019, has been with the New Orleans Saints since his NFL debut in 2016. However, his restructured contract is ending, making him a free agent. In 2023, Thomas played ten games and finished with 39 catches for 448 yards and one touchdown for the Saints, who came second in the NFC South behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Thomas, once a top wide receiver in the league, has struggled with injuries recently. He played only seven games in 2020 and missed all of 2021 due to an ankle injury. In 2022, he was limited to just three games because of a foot problem he got during a match against the Carolina Panthers in week three.
He started his career brilliantly, with four seasons in a row where he caught more than 1,100 yards. The Ravens are hoping that Thomas can get back to this form if he joins their team. But it's unlikely they'll ask him to be the main player in their offense, like he sometimes was for the Saints.
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Odell Beckham Jr is expected to leave the Baltimore Ravens during the off-season (Getty Images)With players like Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews on the team, Thomas won't have to deal with as many double teams. And with a top quarterback like Lamar Jackson ready to pass him the ball, this could be a great move for Wilson. The Ravens also want Thomas to be a leader in the locker room, like Beckham Jr was last season.
Team officials praised the 2022 Super Bowl winner for his positive effect on his teammates, especially the younger receivers like Flowers and Rashod Bateman. After their season ended with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game, Beckham Jr talked about his future.
"To me, if there is anything I felt about myself -- regardless of anybody's opinion or anything like that -- is that I know that I can still play football, and I know that I still have s--- in the tank," he said. "As far as my future, [I'll] just take a step back, breathe for a second, pick [my] chin up, just know that life goes on, and we'll figure out what's next after that."
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