CLEVELAND — After catching his third touchdown of the season, Odell Beckham Jr. was prepared to celebrate.
But after the Cleveland Browns failed to convert on a 2-point conversion attempt, the wide receiver got in a heated exchange with head coach Freddie Kitchens, which began with Beckham throwing his helmet past the Browns' bench.
The tense interaction between Kitchens and Beckham comes one week after Kitchens and Jarvis Landry got in a similar exchange during Cleveland's 38-24 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Over the course of the week, both Kitchens and Landry downplayed the significance of the exchange, with the 5-time Pro Bowl receiver stating he was just making a case to receive more touches.
Moments prior to Beckham's back and forth with Kitchens, the star wide receiver had caught a 3-yard touchdown pass to cut the Ravens' fourth-quarter lead to 24-15. The Browns, however, missed the ensuing 2-point conversion, keeping Baltimore ahead by two scores with 8:01 remaining in the game.
Entering Sunday's contest, Beckham had tallied 67 receptions for 910 yards and 2 touchdowns, putting him on pace for the least productive season of his NFL career. But despite the speculation surrounding his future, the 3-time Pro Bowl selection asserted that he'll remain in Cleveland beyond the 2019 season.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Beckham said. “I’ll be here and we’ll figure this thing out. It’s just too special to leave. The Steelers? I heard that Jarvis wanted to go to the Cardinals and all these people. It’s just easy to talk about.
“It’s a cop-out, I feel like. It’s an easy thing to do, cause a little controversy, a little friction. In my experiences in the league and going through the troubles I did, I can now see how those stories…for me, it’s never going to affect me, but then, it’s like ‘Does it cause a little friction between you and a teammate who doesn’t necessarily know what it is you’re thinking?’ It’s just done. It’s just time to put it to bed. I’m going to be here.”
With a loss to the 12-2 Ravens on Sunday, the 6-8 Browns would officially be eliminated from postseason contention.