Odell Beckham Jr. said Thursday that his hip injury won't keep him out of the Cleveland Browns' regular season opener against the Tennessee Titans.
Beckham, who has missed a handful of camp practices this summer due to injury, said out team drills for a second straight day on Thursday. He assured reporters that, not only would he be on the field if the regular season started today, he will be on the field when Cleveland hosts Tennessee in Week 1 of the regular season. Beckham has not been ruled out of Cleveland's second preseason game against the Colts, although it is likely that he will be inactive. The Browns have not offered a timetable for his return.
"I feel good. Feel great," he said Thursday, per Cleveland.com. "It's just preseason, there's no point in trying to push anything right now. We play Sept. 8, so that's all you really get ready for."
Along with his tremendous play on the field, injuries were a part of Beckham's story during his five seasons with the New York Giants. A hamstring injury cut his rookie season short, while a fractured ankle limited him to just four games in 2017. A bruised quad forced Beckham to miss the final four games of the 2018 season. Beckham has played in all 16 games just once heading into this season. All told, he's missed 21 games due to injury heading into the 2019 season.
"It's nothing," Beckham said of his recent injury. "I've been in this position before, headlines get made and there's just so much good stuff going on with this team, so many players who are out here practicing and they are competing and it's enjoyable for me to be able to be out there with them and be able to sit there and watch and learn the plays and see these guys compete.
"So for me, it's like I don't want to focus so much on me. I'm good."
Despite missing about a third of Cleveland's 11-on-11 practices this summer, Beckham has gained a strong rapport with Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield, who last year set the NFL record for touchdown passes by a rookie quarterback. Transparency, according to Beckham, is one of the reasons for his and Mayfield's quick chemistry. Beckham chuckled when asked earlier this month if he tells Mayfield where he likes the ball to be on passing routes.
"Just tell him to do what he does," he said. "There's a reason he was the first pick. There's a reason he won the Heisman. There's a reason he led Oklahoma to all those great seasons. I just let him tell me what he thinks I should do and I'm just gonna do that, and he's gonna put it where it needs to be."
