Odell Beckham Jr.'s contract was held up over jersey number dispute
Odell Beckham Jr. signed with the Los Angeles Rams last week, but it took some time for the signing to be officially announced, sparking controversy on Twitter about whether or not he had really chosen the Rams as his next destination.
There was a lot of speculation around why it took so long for the Rams to announce Beckham Jr. There was talk that he still hadn't decided between the Rams and the Green Bay Packers. ESPN insider Adam Schefter kept banking on his own breaking news until it became clear that he was right and Odell had, in fact, chosen the Rams instead of the Packers.
Still, nobody could understand why it took so long for the official announcement. It looks like the reason for the delay was something rather unexpected.
According to Schefter, one of the reasons why it took so long for the contract to be officially signed was Beckham Jr.'s new jersey number.
OBJ usually wears the number 13, but the Rams already have backup quarterback John Wolford using it. Number 1 belonged to wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who was recently released by the team, and number 3 was property of running back Cam Akers, who was lost to the season in June following an Achilles injury.
Eventually, Beckham Jr. settled with number 3. Whether Akers will have his number back when he returns in 2022, only time will tell.
Describe how Odell looks in a Rams jersey using 3 words or less ⤵️ https://t.co/6j3ImitWe6
Beckham Jr.'s importance grows with Robert Woods injury
Everybody predicted the Rams' trio of wide receivers composed of Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Beckham Jr. to be the best in the league. Those predictions will stay only within imagination.
Woods tore his ACL during Friday's practice and will be out for the remainder of the year. Beckham Jr., who signed a one-year contract with the Rams, instantly became their number two receiver. As the season goes on and OBJ gets more knowledge of his role in the offense, his production should only grow.
Odell Beckham Jr. left the Cleveland Browns after being unable to fit in well with quarterback Baker Mayfieldand. Moreover, there existed some off-field issues caused by his father that contributed to his exit. OBJ hopes to get a fresh start in Los Angeles and finally earn his ring, a goal he couldn't accomplish with the New York Giants, nor with the Browns.