The saga continues. Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will be excused from practice for a second straight day (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo).
The Browns opted against trading Beckham at the deadline, despite interest from the Saints and other teams. Meanwhile, Beckham’s father and LeBron James ignited a #FreeOBJ hashtag, urging the Browns to deal the star wideout.
The Browns excused Beckham from Wednesday’s practice while head coach Kevin Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry talked through the situation with Beckham’s agent. Those talks are still ongoing, per Garafolo, though some believe that OBJ has played his last snap in Cleveland. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is also willing to smooth things out, though he’s keeping the focus on this week’s game against the Bengals.
“Yeah i think any conversation would go a long way,” Mayfield said (Twitter links) “[As for a] resolution? I don’t know about that right now. [But], if he’s back, we’ll work through it and I can put my ego and pride aside to win.”
Beckham, who turns 29 tomorrow, is still owed $8M in 2021. If he goes on waivers, any team claiming him would have to assume the balance of that contract. If he were to go unclaimed, the Browns would be on the hook for that sum.
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