Even before Odell Beckham Jr. shined during Thursday night’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals, one source close to the situation insisted to ESPN that the Cleveland Browns had no plans or discussions this season about trading the wide receiver.
“It’s totally not true,” one source told ESPN, regarding speculation that Beckham could be traded. “No idea where anyone would have gotten that.”
Speculation began to mount last week, after Cleveland’s blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the season opener, that the Browns were shopping Beckham.
But just as the Browns adamantly denied during the offseason that Beckham was being shopped, the source insisted to ESPN that Cleveland still has no plans to trade the three-time Pro Bowler and has not discussed dealing him.
Beckham had just three catches for 22 yards in the 38-6 loss to Baltimore but bounced back against Cincinnati on Thursday, hauling in four receptions for 74 yards, including a 43-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
“I thought we made the most of our playmakers’ abilities,” Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “I’m surrounded by talent. I want to get the ball in their hands.”
Beckham, 27, entered the 2020 season with four years remaining — at an annual average value of $15 million — on the record-setting deal he signed with the New York Giants in 2018.
