Ravens Officially Cut Odell Beckham Jr., Avoid $50 Million Salary

Baltimore Ravens Cut Odell Beckham Jr., Avoid Paying $50 Million Salary by NFL Deadline

The Odell Beckham Jr. story in Baltimore is a colorful one, and in many ways, a successful one. But it's officially over now.

OBJ made his comeback after the serious knee injury in 2023 with the Ravens, catching 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns. But due in part to the way his contract was restructured - making it clear this was always the plan - the team has officially cut OBJ. ...

And in doing so, avoids this week's deadline before a $50 million salary locks in for 2024.

The Ravens will of course face dead cap penalties, as the piper must always be paid. (That's reportedly $2.767 million in 2024 and $8.301 million in 2025.) And this will figure to be a post-June 1 designated move.

And Beckham, 31, will now search for yet another team. ... with the hottest buzz we're hearing attaching him to the Kansas City Chiefs, where in theory he would join the same Patrick Mahomes-led team that just ousted the Ravens from the AFC title game on their way to a K.C. Super Bowl win.

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At this point last year, the Buffalo Bills joined the Chiefs in showing some interest in OBJ, and Gabe Davis has moved on to Jacksonville, so maybe there's a need for another wide receiver alongside Stefon Diggs in the Josh Allen-led Buffalo offense.

Or maybe Beckham won't have his pick just yet, as NFL free agency downshifts a bit now and teams start to focus on help via the NFL Draft in April.


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Mike Fisher
MIKE FISHER

Mike Fisher - as a newspaper beat writer and columnist and on radio and TV, where he is an Emmy winner - has covered the NFL since 1983. He is the author of two best-selling books on the NFL.