Patriots Patience? Odell Beckham's Return Delayed

If New England is interested in signing the free-agent receiver, it likely won't be until October because of injury complications.

Lots of New England Patriots fans have longed to see their team add talented receiver Odell Beckham Jr. And there are those in the business of NFL analytics that believe the pairing would be perfect.

Alas, those Beckham-'n-Belichick dreams have to be put on hold.

After suffering a torn ACL in last February's Super Bowl, Beckham Jr. was expected to miss the start of 2022 training camp. However, that timetable is apparently being pushed back and impacting his availability and market value.

On ESPN's "Get Up" Tuesday morning, NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler said Beckham may not be ready to play until after the season starts.

“Beckham could take his time here because talking to teams, they don’t expect Beckham to be healthy until October or maybe even November, as far as ‘full-go’ back from that ACL,” Fowler said. “So Beckham can take his time, maybe even wait until the first couple of weeks of the season, see who’s hot, who needs a receiver. He will likely go to a contender.”

The Patriots will enter training camp July 27 with a host of talented receivers - including DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Jakobi Meyers and second-round draft pick Tyquan Thornton - but without a star No. 1. So unsure is New England about its crop that last week it signed former New Orleans Saints undrafted free agent Lil'Jordan Humphrey.

This marks the second ACL tear for Beckham since being drafted in 2014. He shined as the Los Angeles Rams' No. 2 receiver opposite Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp in eight games following his release from Cleveland last season.