Odell Beckham Jr. suspended six games for PED violation

The well-traveled pass catcher said during an appearance on The Pivot podcast he will accept a six-game PED suspension stemming from a positive test last year. The suspension will begin this week, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. Beckham said during his podcast appearance he has never knowingly taken a performance-enhancing drug.

Still planning to play this season, Beckham will be unable to do so until well into November. It is certainly possible the former superstar has played his final NFL down, as he was unproductive with the Dolphins before the team cut him last December. No club claimed OBJ, and he has resided in free agency since.

During a previous podcast appearance, Beckham said teams were looking into him. The former Giants Pro Bowler mentioned a conversation with Aaron Rodgers about a potential Steelers gig, but nothing came of it. It would surprise if Beckham landed a near-future agreement in light of this PED development. Beckham, 33 in November, finished last season with just nine receptions for 55 yards. Hoping OBJ would become a solid WR3 alongside Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Miami moved on in mid-December.

Last year brought a knee procedure that led Beckham to begin his Dolphins season on the reserve/PUP list. The production decline proved disappointing for Miami and rather surprising, as the former Super Bowl champion posted 565 receiving yards on 35 catches with the Ravens. That production came in just 14 games. Not many glimpses of that form came in Miami, however, and the 10-year veteran — who missed the 2022 season due to the ACL tear sustained in Super Bowl LVI — has seen injuries provide steady impediments as his career has progressed.

Suffering ACL tears during the 2020 and ’21 seasons, Beckham rebounded to make an impact with the Ravens in 2023. He came on down the stretch that year, averaging a career-high 16.1 yards per reception. But Baltimore opted to increase Rashod Bateman‘s role in 2024, letting Beckham walk in free agency. 

This PED ban will decrease the chances another comeback is in store for a player who delivered one of the great early-career stretches of any receiver in NFL history. But that period ended nearly 10 years ago.

Beckham did post a 1,000-yard season with the Browns in 2019, before a strange in-season 2021 divorce (featuring barbs from the WR’s camp thrown at then-starter Baker Mayfield), led him to the Rams. That change proved pivotal, with Beckham replacing an injured Robert Woods to fare well alongside Cooper Kupp. OBJ caught nine passes for 113 yards to lift the Rams over the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game and was on pace for a better Super Bowl showing before suffering the ACL tear. After extensive Beckham interest in 2022, the Ravens gave him $15M guaranteed in ’23. He signed a one-year, $3M Dolphins deal in March 2024.