Ravens’ Odell Beckham Jr. Talks 2023 Struggles: ‘Obviously Not Where I Want to Be’

Despite the early-season success for the Baltimore Ravens, Odell Beckham Jr. is still trying to find his footing with the offense.

Speaking to reporters about his slow start, Beckham addressed his struggles to start the 2023 campaign.

“Obviously not where I want to be, but when I signed here I said I wanted to come here and win a Super Bowl and win,” he said. “We’re 6-2 and on the way to that. Just got to keep going, it’s a long season.”

The Ravens signed Beckham to a one-year, $15 million deal in the offseason after he sat out all of 2022 recovering from a torn ACL that was suffered during Super Bowl 56 with the Los Angeles Rams.

It was a big investment in a wide receiver coming off a significant injury, but the Ravens were trying to boost their group of skill-position players around Lamar Jackson. There was also significant upside in adding a three-time Pro Bowler who was impressive during the Rams’ playoff run.

Beckham averaged 6.3 receptions and 79.0 yards per game in four playoff starts. He had 113 yards in Los Angeles’ 20-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

Nearly halfway through this season, Beckham has struggled to make an impact for the Ravens. He ranks third on the team in targets (26), fourth in receiving yards (162) and tied for fifth in receptions (14).

An ankle injury suffered in Week 2 kept Beckham out of Baltimore’s next two games. Since returning to the lineup in Week 5, his playing time has been reduced. The 30-year-old hasn’t been on the field for more than 57 percent of offensive snaps in each of the past four games.

Beckham had no catches on four targets in last week’s win over the Arizona Cardinals. It was the first time in his career he failed to catch a pass in a full game.

The Ravens have been incredibly successful even without a significant contribution from their big free-agent signing. Their 6-2 record is tied with three other teams for the best mark in the AFC.

Baltimore’s offense ranks seventh in the NFL in points per game (25.3). If this unit can get anything from Beckham in the second half of the season, the pieces are in place for the team to make a deep playoff run.