It took a while for Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson to look wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.'s way during Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, but he did it often once he broke the ice.
Jackson threw six passes Beckham’s way in the fourth quarter and connected on three of them, including a fourth down conversion that helped to keep hope for a comeback alive in Baltimore. Those catches only went for 22 yards and Beckham’s overall numbers this season — 35 catches for 565 yards — were modest, but they still left Beckham feeling like he showed he belonged after missing the entire 2022 season while recovering from a torn ACL.
“To me, if there is anything I felt about myself — regardless of anybody’s opinion or anything like that — is that I know that I can still play football, and I know that I still have [stuff] in the tank,” Beckham said, via a transcript from the team. “It’s just unfortunate — the way that it went today — because, to me, it’s so much bigger than one person in this room; it was [about] just being able to have that moment with these guys you’ve worked so hard with. So, for me, as far as my future, [I’ll] just take a step back, breathe for a second, pick [my] chin up, just know that life goes on, and we’ll figure out what’s next after that.”
Beckham said “I absolutely love this place” when asked about a potential return for the 2024 season and that will be one of many things for the Ravens to sort out as they move past the disappointing end to their season.