Miami Dolphins wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will begin the 2024 NFL season on the physically unable to perform list, via Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk.
Beckham is dealing with an undisclosed injury and will now have to miss the first four weeks of the campaign as a result.
The Dolphins signed Beckham in free agency earlier this offseason with the hope that he would be their No. 3 receiver behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
Beckham spent the 2023 campaign with the Baltimore Ravens, where he played 14 games and caught 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns in what was a disappointing showing for the veteran.
The 31-year-old was expected to provide Lamar Jackson with a dependable weapon alongside rookie wide out Zay Flowers, but Beckham was never able to develop any sort of consistency.
Injuries are certainly nothing new for Beckham, as he has not played a full season since 2019 and has only done so twice in his career since entering the league in 2014.
The LSU product was originally selected by the New York Giants with the 12th overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Giants and was on a historic pace, making the Pro Bowl in each of his first three years and posting magnificent numbers.
However, injuries and behavioral issues derailed Beckham’s tenure in New York. The Giants traded him to the Cleveland Browns in March 2018, where he spent two-and-a-half seasons before being waived. He joined the Los Angeles Rams for the remainder of 2021 and helped the team win a Super Bowl.
Beckham then sat out all of 2022 before linking up with the Ravens.
Can the Miami Dolphins legitimately contend for a Super Bowl?
The Dolphins boasted the league’s No. 1-ranked offense in 2023, but Miami faded down the stretch and was then blasted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
In the Dolphins’ defense, they were littered with injuries late last season, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
This year, Miami is hoping to make a run at the AFC East title after the Buffalo Bills were severely weakened in free agency. The Dolphins may very well have the most talented offense in the division, but whether or not they can actually beat good teams in 2024 (they went just 1-7 against clubs with winning records last year, including playoffs) remains to be seen.
Miami has not won a playoff game since January 2001, representing the longest active drought in the NFL.
We’ll see if Odell Beckham Jr. can play a major role in the Dolphins potentially having some actual playoff success in the winter.
However, given the rugged nature of the AFC, it is going to be difficult for the Miami Dolphins to genuinely contend for a Super Bowl.
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