CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a previous story.
Odell Beckham Jr.'s departure from the Cleveland Browns last November was a messy one. But it's clear that the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver still has plenty of fans in his former team's locker room.
After the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to win Super Bowl 56 on Sunday, several Browns players took to social media to congratulate Beckham on his championship win. Among those to praise Beckham -- who caught the game's first touchdown on a 17-yard reception in the first quarter -- were wide receiver Rashard Higgins, linebacker Mack Wilson, cornerback Greg Newsome II, tight end David Njoku, and Beckham's close friend, Jarvis Landry.
Editor's note: some inappropriate language below.
Beckham's night, however, was a mixed bag. After getting off to a strong start with two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown, he left the game in the second quarter with a non-contact knee injury. According to Monday Morning Quarterback's Albert Breer, the Rams fear that the LSU product suffered a torn ACL.
Sunday night marked the culmination of a season unlike any other for Beckham, who began the season in Cleveland after working his way back from a torn ACL, which prematurely ended his 2020 campaign. After the 2014 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year reportedly requested a trade following the Browns' Week 8 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, his father, Odell Beckham Sr., posted an 11-minute and 24-second long video clip of quarterback Baker Mayfield missing his son on various throws throughout the 2021 season to his verified Instagram account.
While Cleveland was ultimately unable to find a trade to deal him away before the NFL's Trade Deadline, the Browns and Beckham came to terms on a release, allowing him to become a free agent. Once on the open market, the 29-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Rams and played a key role in the team's passing game throughout its run to what was ultimately a Super Bowl victory.
Speaking with reporters ahead of the Super Bowl last week, Beckham discussed the ugly exit from Cleveland that paved his way to Los Angeles.
“One of the biggest regrets that I have about the way things ended is I just didn’t get -- it’s like having a breakup but there really was no closure and it’s kind of just like you go -- that’s just it," Beckham said. "One thing I’ve always been big on in my life is closure. Because I feel like if doors are not closed, they’re always still open. Just having to leave, leave these guys that are your brothers, you've lifetime friendships with, and it just happened so abruptly.
"A lot of things were out of my control. By the time I woke up, the video was already posted, it just was unfortunate. Sometimes things go that way in life and you just kind of have to roll with the punches. I just think about, here I am now and just making the most of the opportunity that I have.”