Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. watched his team advance to the playoffs in January 2021 while he was at home recovering from a season-ending ACL injury he sustained in October 2020.
For a competitor like Beckham, it had to be bittersweet to see his teammates do so well.
OBJ spent the entire offseason with limited social media presence but a lot of presence in the gym.
He has been working extremely hard to get back into football shape so he can rejoin his team in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
By all accounts, he looks fit and ready to go after ACL surgery.
BAKER MAYFIELD AND OBJ WORKING OUT IN TEXAS!!!!!
Via: @logansnfl pic.twitter.com/Z7ZRwrxEEH
— Cleveland Sports Talk (@CLEsportsTalk) June 10, 2021
#Browns WR Jarvis Landry before his celebrity softball game said Odell Beckham Jr. looked great during recent workouts in Texas. OBJ coming off torn ACL. “He’s even better than he was last year,” Landry said.
— Nate Ulrich (@ByNateUlrich) June 12, 2021
Here are three realistic goals for Beckham during the 2021 season.
3. Seven Touchdowns
Through seven seasons, Beckham has 51 career touchdowns.
In his two seasons with the Browns, he has caught seven total touchdowns.
However, the 2021 Browns offense is loaded with weapons, and Baker Mayfield will need to spread the ball around to keep opposing defenses guessing.
With 17 regular season games on the docket, Beckham catching seven touchdowns is very realistic.
One of these touchdowns could be a trick play reminiscent of the pass he caught from fellow wide receiver Jarvis Landry in 2020.
Jarvis Landry TD pass! Also, he reminds me of Tim Tebow slinging the football as a leftie pic.twitter.com/liQmBUmOr5
— Lily Zhao (@LilySZhao) October 4, 2020
2. 1,000 Yards Receiving
In 2019, OBJ’s first season with the Browns, he had 1,035 yards receiving.
Of course, the Browns are a much different team than they were in the Freddie Kitchens era.
Coach Kevin Stefanski utilizes tight ends much more so those players will also accumulate yards.
However, Beckham rejoins the Browns with a lot to prove.
He heard the talk about how the Browns are better without him, and you can bet he wants to prove that to be a falsehood.
Furthermore, Stefanski has talked about how eager he is to get a healthy OBJ back on the field.
The Browns offense was just finding their stride in October when OBJ went down for the season; he may have gotten the 1,000 yards last year had he stayed healthy.
1. Catch A Playoff Touchdown
Beckham was in one playoff game in his career.
When he was with the New York Giants, they faced the Green Bay Packers in the 2016 playoffs.
They lost the game, and he was not a factor.
Beckham is looking for redemption for a career of missed opportunities.
The Browns have put together a roster of very talented players.
If they play up to their potential, the star receiver will get a chance to compete in the playoffs.
For the Browns to win multiple playoff games, he will need to be instrumental in the success.
As a result, he will catch at least one touchdown pass in the playoffs.
His Ultimate Goal
OBJ’s ultimate goal is to be on a Super Bowl winning team.
He has endured difficult injuries with long rehab periods so he is not putting the work in for anything short of a Super Bowl title.
This 2021 Browns team is likely his best opportunity to achieve this goal.
He needs to stay healthy through the 17-game regular season so he can help his team get to the Super Bowl.
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