Odell Beckham Jr. to be cleared later than expected?

Oct 21, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (13) warms up before the game between the Browns and the Denver Broncos at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Odell Beckham Jr. sweepstakes will likely begin heating up more in the next few weeks, but the veteran wide receiver may wind up playing in fewer regular-season games than expected.

Beckham has been recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered in the Super Bowl earlier this year. A recent report claimed he is aiming to return to the field at some point in mid-November. However, ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler were told by NFL executives that a more “realistic time frame” for Beckham is some point in the middle of December.

That may have a significant impact on Beckham’s free agency. While there is no question the 29-year-old can help a team once he is fully healthy, he will still need to get up to game speed. If he is not cleared for full contact until December, that would leave him very little time to prepare to play in games. Assuming OBJ signs with a contender, the first games he plays in could be quite meaningful.

Many people have assumed Beckham will eventually return to the Los Angeles Rams. However, the receiver recently gave a strong indication that he is not feeling the love from his former team.