Ravens release Odell Beckham Jr. with Post-June 1 designation

The three-time Pro Bowler is officially an unrestricted free agent again.

In a move that was expected and first reported by ESPN’s Field Yates, the Baltimore Ravens released three-time Pro Bowl wider receiver Odell Beckham Jr. with a Post-June 1 designation on Wednesday night, officially making him an unrestricted free agent free to sign with another team.

Beckham was the Ravens’ most notable offseason addition last year and a major catalyst in the progression of the negations between the front office and franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson on a long-term extension. The 10-year veteran wideout signed a one-year deal worth $15 million, with a chance to earn up to $18 million with incentives. The deal also had void years attached to spread the cap hit over multiple years.

In January, Beckham and the Ravens agreed to a restructured contract that would remove the void years and spread the dead money cap charges as long as he was released with the special post-June 1 designation.

While he didn’t light the league on fire in his first year back after sitting out the entire 2022 season to recover from a torn ACL he suffered in the 2021 Super Bowl, Beckham was invaluable as a leader and still showed some flashes the explosive playmaking ability he still possesses. He appeared in 14 regular season games, including six starts, and recorded 35 receptions on 64 targets for 565 receiving yards and three touchdowns, averaging a career-high 16.1 yards per catch.

The 31-year-old now enters a wide receiver market that hasn’t been robust in terms of big offers given outside of Calvin Ridley who inked a four-year deal worth $92 million with the Tennessee Titans. Unless he is willing to take a team-friendly deal with an expected contender ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft which is especially ripe with talented young wideouts, he’ll likely sit on the open market until after it passes and teams get a chance to reassess their rosters.

At the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, General Manager Eric DeCosta shared that the team hasn’t closed the door on potentially bringing him back and that they have remained in contact. Beckham was a great role model and mentor for 2023 first-round receiver Zay Flowers, who broke several franchise rookie records but began to lose more snaps to 2021 first-rounder Rashod Bateman, who the team expects to have a more expanded role in 2024. Depending on how the Ravens’ depth chart at receiver looks following the draft, re-signing him on another one-year deal for significantly less could make sense.