The Cowboys originally looked to be very interested in acquiring Odell Beckham Jr. for the remainder of the 2022 season, but after the free agent’s visit with the team this week, things may not be as clear-cut as before.
NFL Network’s Jane Slater reported Wednesday that the Cowboys did not extend an offer to Beckham at the conclusion of his visit, largely due to concerns over not being able to see him work out in person and questions regarding Beckham’s availability to play this season.
Beckham Jr. is about 10 months removed from an ACL tear suffered during Super Bowl LVI, and while initial predictions were that he’d be ready to play by mid-November, that timeline has already been extended. To this end, per Slater, the Cowboys were worried that because they didn’t get to see Beckham in action, moving and running routes, they had to evaluate the situation without that vital information.
With the Cowboys looking for a player who would be available to play this season and into a possible postseason run, the lack of a workout — and what that implies about Beckham’s recovery status — has made Dallas less optimistic than pre-visit, per Slater.
In the meantime, the Cowboys leadership continues to be asked about an OBJ signing now that an official visit has concluded. In interviews this week, both head coach Mike McCarthy and owner Jerry Jones were asked about their discussions with Beckham.
McCarthy said in his press conference Wednesday that he thought the visit with Beckham went “very well,” and he “liked his vibe. I enjoyed everything about our talk.” But McCarthy declined to give any real update on the Cowboys’ thoughts on signing Beckham at this point.
However, owner Jerry Jones was much more verbose when discussing his visit with the star wide receiver during a Tuesday interview on 105.3 The Fan. Jones also said that he had enjoyed his long meetings with Beckham, but when asked about his confidence in signing a player he hadn’t seen work out after an ACL tear, Jones’ answer seemed to echo these concerns over the unknowns of the situation.
“Well I’m not confident, at all. And so that’s the issue. We all realize that issue of health, that issue of availability,” Jones said. “You’ve got to take a good look at everything, not only the obvious, and that’s his performance, but also any issues regarding health. So all of this we’ve got to come in with our eyes wide open and it has to be addressed, and that’s when you can see if you can make a deal or not.”
The Cowboys wined and dined OBJ over the course of a few days to endear him to Dallas over other suitors, but it looks like it’s the health of the wide receiver that could have the greatest impact on any potential contract.
For his part, Beckham has headed home to Arizona to discuss his options with family and decide what his next steps will be, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported. And as he thinks things over, so will the Cowboys, as they must also decide whether they’re in or out on a deal.