Just when you thought Odell Beckham Jr. might be calling it a career after a fake retirement post went viral, the ‘how in the world did he catch that’ maestro shut it all down the only way he knows how: emphatically.
Related: Surprising Odell Beckham Jr. twist could push Giants toward unexpected move
What started off with a light social media response, “Not done yet… thanks for hr concerns and have a blessed day.” Quickly turned into, “Stop texting me happy retirement b4 u piss me off.” You can't really blame people for taking the bait. OBJ has been a shell of his former self these past couple of seasons. Last year's nine receptions for 55 yards in nine games was... not necessarily encouraging.
Still, even with all that retirement nonsense resolved, it's not like teams are lining up to sign the soon-to-be 33-year-old. Or maybe they are? Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the 10-year veteran has several teams interested in his services, and he plans on playing somewhere in 2025. Lucky for us, he might have already teased where he plans on playing... and it's a doozy.
Odell Beckham Jr. (confirmed Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin fan) could be headed to Pittsburgh
During an appearance on Bill Maher's Club Random podcast, OBJ spoke fondly of Rodgers. Their relationship isn't bound to the gridiron, and with speculation swirling around his next move, his comments are worth a revisit:
"Love him, love him," Beckham said about Rodgers. "We've had conversations. I won't say that it's not a possibility [signing with the Steelers], and I won't say that I haven't had any communication."
But it wasn't only his love for Rodgers that piqued the attention of football fans. His respect and admiration for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was really the turning point:
"I f***ing love [Mike] Tomlin. I was actually supposed to be drafted to the Steelers. That was the meeting that I had where I was like, 'I think I'm going to the Steelers.'"
Read between the lines all you want, but there's clearly a long-storied attachment to Pittsburgh, one that goes wayyyy back to 2014 when Beckham was drafted. That's crazy.
OBJ heading to Pittsburgh would be hilarious. Imagine Rodgers hitching his wagon to this version of what was once the league’s most electrifying player. If this were 10 years ago, they would be a problem. However, it's clear as day that Father Time has taken a toll on both of their bodies.
Funny enough, the 41-year-old quarterback was reportedly sniffing around MetLife Stadium in the offseason, looking for a potential offer. It was pretty clear he only wanted the G-Men to get back at the Jets for canning him. Thankfully, Joe Schoen didn't want the headache and went with Russell Wilson instead.
That's not to say pairing up with a future Hall of Famer like Rodgers would be a bad move. It's just more so, what would be different this time around? He's arguably the biggest "what-if" player in recent memory.
Does this mean fans should expect the former All-Pro receiver to don the Black and gold? Not exactly, but it's not something to completely ignore either. Since his sudden reappearance from the shadows, there's been some speculation that he could make his way back to East Rutherford. Though that feels unlikely.
Still, OBJ's a media master. He didn't personally and publicly call out Aaron Rodgers and Mike Tomlin for no reason. It'll be interesting to see if anything develops further. If nothing else, Beckham’s still elite at doing one thing: keeping himself in the conversation.