It’s been nearly four years since the Odell Beckham Jr. and Baker Mayfield saga in Cleveland became cannon fodder for the media. What started as a promising partnership went off the rails, with Beckham Jr. eventually getting released by the Browns midway through the 2021 season.
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The Mayfield-Beckham partnership was meant to be a headline act that was capable of lifting the struggling franchise to new heights. Instead, it all came apart with things reaching a boiling point when Beckham Jr.’s father released a viral video accusing Mayfield of ignoring and overlooking an open OBJ.
Since then, both stars have mostly kept things under the lid. But for the first time in years, Beckham has looked back on that rollercoaster stretch of his career. In a candid chat with Complex News‘ Jordan Rose, he admitted that while the drama was tough to stomach, he’s made his peace with how things unfolded.
“2020 happens or whatever. I took the year off and came back to play that next year, and [I] didn’t have my best season in Cleveland. And you know, all them things happen, and it’s like I’m happy that everything happened and played out how it happened,” OBJ began, before getting into the role played by his father, Odell Beckham Sr.
At the height of the controversy, it was Beckham Sr.’s social media post that added fuel to the already explosive situation. Beckham Jr. acknowledged the damage the video did before clarifying the intent behind it.
“The whole video thing comes out, and it’s like, you know, my pops never ever intended to hurt nobody else,” Beckham explained. As far as the wideout is concerned, his father’s act was personal, and had nothing to do with football: “It’s like my pops is like, my last name is Beckham… and I’m going to always protect mine. Period.”
The fallout led to the perception that animosity was the defining factor in the relationship between the two stars. But Beckham Jr. insists that perception was misleading. Rather than holding resentment, he even went out of his way to praise his former quarterback.
“I always told people I’m like he’s got an arm on him and he’s a competitor and he’s a great quarterback. He’s a great leader, he’s a great dude,” said OBJ, who finds the breakdown of his connection with Mayfield “unfortunate.”
Beckham Jr. blamed it on timing and circumstance rather than a lack of ability or effort. “It was just like it was unfortunate that it couldn’t work out. But that’s life too… time and situation,” he continued.
In the years since, both men have found ways to thrive. Beckham Jr. enjoyed a fresh start with the Los Angeles Rams, winning a Super Bowl the same season he left Cleveland. Mayfield resurrected his career in Tampa Bay, proving himself again as a starting quarterback.
“To be able to see him shine, to be able to see me go and get a ring, it’s like the winners are always going to win at the end of the day,” Beckham concluded.
All in all, OBJ’s comments not only clear the air about his relationship with Mayfield but also underline a truth often lost in the noise: Sometimes, even talented partnerships don’t click.
Both men have subsequently proven there can still be success … Just that it was never meant to happen when they were together in Cleveland.
