Kansas City Chiefs superstar Travis Kelce thinks, or at least hopes, that restructuring his contract this week could open the door to Odell Beckham Jr. bringing his talents to Missouri.
On Tuesday, ESPN NFL insider Field Yates broke the news that the Chiefs and their Pro Bowl tight end reached an agreement to restructure his 2022 deal. The move converted some of his salary for this season to a signing bonus and opened up over $3 million in new cap space for the team, with the Nov. 1 NFL trade deadline closing in.
The Chiefs are sure to be active in the next two weeks as they look at possible trade targets that could help bring them their second Super Bowl title in the last four years. However, another option for the team could be to take a run at the top free agent still available on the market.
Three-time Pro Bowler Beckham Jr. is expected to be ready to play in the final weeks of the NFL season after tearing his ACL in the Super Bowl earlier this year. Many teams have been linked to the former New York Giants, Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Rams star, including the Chiefs, and Kelce believes those rumors could become a reality with the new cap space the team has.
“I want them to come true,” Kelce said of the rumors during a recent episode of his “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce” podcast (h/t Kansas City Star). “I haven’t heard anything. I have not heard anything in the locker room or anything around the facility. But I think that something’s in the air for sure. And if it means OBJ . . . alright now.”
While it is still hard to gauge how impactful Beckham Jr. will be upon returning from the second major ACL injury of his career, if he is anywhere near the player he was for the Rams in 2021, it could be a serious addition for the Chiefs.
While many were concerned about how the Kansas City passing game would perform after trading superstar receiver Tyreek Hill to the Dolphins in the offseason, those worries have been dispelled after six weeks. The Chiefs have averaged the fifth-most total and fourth-most passing yards so far this season. Adding Beckham Jr. to what has been a dynamic offense in 2022 could spell doom for any other team hoping to win the AFC West this season.
OBJ had 27 catches for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight games for the Rams last season. He also had a nine-catch, 130-yard performance in their NFC Championship win over the 49ers.
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