Odell Beckham Jr. is back after spending a season recovering from his torn ACL from the Super Bowl LVI. This was the second time he picked up the same injury on the same knee. Quite a blow for the wide receiver at a time when his stocks were soaring in the NFL. OBJ openly claimed that his mental health also took a hit because of the injury. Thankfully, he was able to make a resilient comeback. However, legendary receiver Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson reckons that OBJ lost out on a $200,000,000 type deal because of the unfortunate Super Bowl injury.
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Chad Johnson, who is a six-time pro bowler, recently kickstarted a new Podcast with Cam Newton called ‘Uno & Ocho Show’. In a recent episode, Ocho dished his honest thoughts on how OBJ could have been the biggest receiver the NFL had ever seen, but his string of injuries prevented that from happening.
Odell Beckham Jr. Could Have Rewritten History
Chad ‘Ochocino’ Johnson, during a podcast episode of ‘Uno & Ocho Show’ ignited NFL chatter concerning the star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Talking with former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, Chad revealed how OBJ could have re-written history if he hadn’t had those ACL injuries. Chad stated,
“Listen, man, that’s that boy, I wish we could rewind back the time and he never gotten hurt. I think ‘O’ might have been the first $200 million deal. He does more than just play football. He’s bigger than that”.
If Chad is to be believed, then the ACL injuries that OBJ sustained surely derailed his career. Listening to Chad, Cam Newton chimed in to weigh on the matter. He said,
“I worked out with him. He is the best — and you know as a receiver, the importance of tracking the ball — let me tell you, his tracking ability it’s like a radar, as soon as the ball comes off your hand [whistles] You can see him finding that and how it’s spinning and how it dictates. Him practicing that one-hand catch … it’s poetic”.
As a matter of fact, OBJ went on to sign for the Baltimore Ravens on a one-year $15 million contract this offseason. Despite a few question marks around his fitness, the Ravens WR seems determined to reach his highest potential in the upcoming NFL 2023 season.
Odell Beckham Jr’s Battle With Injuries: A ‘What Might Have Been’ Tale
OBJ has dealt with injuries throughout his career. He’s one of the classic ‘What might have been?’ examples if his injury list is considered. His Super Bowl LVI injuries surely align with the $200 million deal narrative of Chad Johnson. Let’s have a look at some of the serious injuries sustained by Odell Beckham Jr.
From a Grade 3 hamstring injury in his rookie year back in 2014 to a high ankle sprain which subsequently led to ankle fracture in a matte of three 2 months in 2017, it’s fair to say that Odell Beckham Jr. has suffered a lot and the physical nature of the NFL has taken a huge toll on his body. However, the worst was yet to come. The most devastating blow for OBJ came in the form of two Grade 3 injuries- first in 2020 and the second in 2022 in the same knee.
OBJ must certainly have nerves of steel and willpower to the likes of ‘Batman’. To come back from such serious injuries and still perform at the highest level is no small feat. It will be interesting to see how he performs in the coming season.
