It has been observationally confirmed that just about everyone is over the Odell Beckham Jr. saga – everyone except for the man who signs the checks, it seems.
Friday morning, USA Today reported that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said OBJ will be joining the Dallas Cowboys in time to contribute during the postseason. Columnist Jarrett Bell quoted Jones, writing:
“Odell's going to join us,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday. “There's a good chance he will, with the complete goal of getting ready for a playoff game or two, and then I'll look to the future. But most of it being about now.”
It is not unusual for Jerry Jones to throw out a speculative statement or two seemingly with the purpose of either keeping focus on the Cowboys or distracting from another situation related to the team, but a statement like this one carries a different weight. This one is more of a declaration setting expectations rather than communicating a desire or preference. Coming from the team owner, it suggests that talks with OBJ have been ongoing and almost guarantees that a deal will be signed.
We Thought We Were Past This
This report is simultaneously surprising and unsurprising. The Cowboys as an organization seemed to have moved on from the possibility of signing OBJ. After the free agent receiver visited the Cowboys, information surfaced that they saw his unwillingness to workout during his visit as a red flag. According to reports, OBJ's knee was described as a “ticking time bomb, and the process of rehabbing from his second ACL injury would keep him from contributing to the team during the current season. He ended his visit without signing a deal, and current Cowboys players as well as members of the media expressed exhaustion with discussing the possibility of adding him to the roster.
— David Helman (@davidhelman_) December 16, 2022
This news also comes at the end of a week during which the Cowboys signed a different veteran receiver, T.Y. Hilton. The addition of Hilton a.k.a. “The Ghost” to the Cowboys' receiving corps was unexpected. However, news of his signing and anticipation of what he might bring to the team quickly became hot topics replacing OBJ speculation in the cycle of Dallas Cowboys discourse. To many, this was evidence that the team no longer had need for Beckham Jr. Following Hilton's signing, Jones did say that talks with OBJ had not ended, but he did not express the level of certainty that is shown in the above quote.
Jones' continued interest in Odell Beckham Jr. might be explained by expectations he allegedly has for the three-time Pro Bowl receiver. According to USA Today's article, Jones stated the following regarding potential on-field contributions from OBJ:
“I'm hopeful we can get into some important games and have some Deion Sanders-type results,” Jones said. “Could this be possible to have a great player like that get in two or three playoff games and make some significant plays? I think very much so. That's not an exaggerated thought at all.”
Odell Beckham Jr.'s Response
As for whether or not OBJ shares Jones' perspective, the closest he has come to providing a public response is a series of ambiguous tweets posted throughout the day on Friday. The tweets followed the release of, but did not directly mention, the USA Today article. One tweet simply stated, “God got something bigger planned…” In another he mentions “calculated steps” and ends the tweet with what is either a typo or a suggestive rearrangement of a common phrase. He says “is it what it is,” calling for query as opposed to “it is what it is” which would be a statement of certainty and acceptance.
From here until it's time…. Every step is calculated and no wasted motions… is it what it is. ♟️
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) December 16, 2022
The most enigmatic tweet of all of them was one that contained a lyric from a hit song by pop star, Drake.
“Ion back n forth over no net, so just gon dead it….”
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) December 16, 2022
Even fans of Drake have debated whether the phrase “over no net” in this line means “over the internet” or “over anything related to net worth.” The phrase “dead it,” however, means to end discussions and stop bringing up a certain topic. Some believe this tweet was a subliminal request for Jerry Jones to stop discussing the possibility of signing him to the Cowboys. Some say the tweet was aimed at media and fans, saying they should stop discussing the topic on Twitter or other online platforms because OBJ won't be providing any answers or information via those channels.
Regardless, any acceptable interpretation of these posts point to the idea that nothing will be definitive until it is. It seems very unlikely that there will be any certainty or valid updates regarding the possibility of Odell Beckham Jr. donning a star emblazoned helmet until he puts pen to paper and actually signs with the team.
