Odell Beckham Jr. is set to play in the NFC divisional round for the first time in his career, as the Los Angeles Rams will square off with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the second time this season. However, there was a possibility that he could have instead been featuring for another one of the teams playing in this year's NFL divisional round.
Following his departure from the Cleveland Browns, Beckham was linked with multiple teams for an in-season free agent move. Among the teams that had a reported interest in hauling him in were the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs. The Packers aimed to once again bolster their wide receiver depth, while the Chiefs, even though they signed Josh Gordon earlier in the campaign, aimed to do just that as well.
Still, as Beckham explained to ProFootballTalk’s Chris Simms ahead of the Rams’ playoff clash with the Buccaneers, it was a complicated decision from the get-go.
Article Continues Below“There was a lot of emotions involved, and I wanted to be in a spot where I felt like I could thrive,” Beckham said. “I know that going to any team in the middle of the year, unless you were to go to some team was probably not playing right now, that you could go somewhere and they'll be the guy and you want 200 yards and all that.
“I wanted to be in an atmosphere that was special, and it came down to a few places. And I mean, all of these teams are playing to this day: Green Bay, San Fran, Kansas City, the Rams.”
In the end, Beckham chose the Rams, as he noted that players such as cornerback Jalen Ramsey played a vital role in his final decision to join them over one other NFC powerhouse.
“It was not a very easy decision,” Beckham said. “But one thing I was telling somebody about earlier, was I feel like I put out a lot of love and love is what you would want to receive back. And that's what I felt the most loved from the Rams. Jalen was here and they were like, ‘Let's go chase this ring.'
“I was torn between two teams when it came down to the final decision, it was Green Bay or LA. Here we are today and I'm just blessed and thankful to be exactly where I'm at and having an opportunity to compete for the Lombardi Trophy.”
Ramsey was not the only Rams player who helped to convince Beckham to join the team. Veteran wideout Robert Woods was also instrumental in this matter, as he made a strong pitch to Beckham on why he should sign with the already star-studded Rams squad.
Beckham is currently aiming to help the Rams make a return to the NFC Championship game, but in their way at the moment are the reigning Super Bowl champions.