Dallas Cowboys May Not Sign Odell Beckham Jr. After Weeks Of Courtship

It looks like the Dallas Cowboys are starting to cool down on the possibility of signing Odell Beckham Jr.

After it appeared set in stone that the Cowboys would sign Beckham after weeks of courtship, Dallas may pass on signing the free agent receiver after endless praise from team executives and players.

Beckham recently revealed to Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons that he won’t return to the football field until the mid-January mark — meaning he won’t be able to debut with Dallas until the playoffs.

The free agent receiver is currently in the midst of returning from a torn ACL suffered in last February’s Super Bowl.

The issue is, the Cowboys want Beckham back before the start of the playoffs to shake off the rust and show he can contribute this season. Team owner Jerry Jones stressed that belief in the days after Dallas met Beckham earlier in the week.

Via 105.3 The Fan:

“By no means are we at a position to say, ‘close’, or where we are,” Jones said on Tuesday when it comes to signing Beckham. “We’re just discussing the many options that are there.”

Jones the iterated that he’s not confident at all in signing Beckham without working him out.

“Well, I’m not confident at all,” Jones said. “That’s the issue. We all realize the issue of health… We’ve got a good bead on that.”

There appears to be a disconnect on both sides. While Jones and the Cowboys clearly want Beckham back before the start of the playoffs, Beckham revealed in a recent interview that he aims to play during the postseason.

“I’m not saying I couldn’t step in and play regular season, but I don’t see the point,” the free agent receiver said on The Shop on Thursday. “I really don’t. I’d rather play when that pressure’s on.”

While Beckham doesn’t have any shortage of possible suitors — he’s also met with the Buffalo Bills and New York Giants — it’s become clear that Jones is drawing a line in the sand when it comes to adding Beckham.

Jones’ message is clear — either show you can play and contribute before the playoffs, or we’re not signing you.

Beckham’s blasé attitude when it comes to playing before the playoffs doesn’t exactly help matters when it comes to signing with the Cowboys.

While the Cowboys are certainly looking for that X-factor that can help deliver them their first Super Bowl title since the 1995 season, they don’t need Beckham. Dallas already has the third-best offensive in the league and features capable playmakers in CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup, Dalton Schultz and Tony Pollard.

Bob Sturm of The Athletic detailed how dominant the Cowboys’ offense is without Beckham.

“This offense is capable of incredible things and the efficiency it plays with is so impressive,” says Sturm. “We look at efficiency as two basic things: third down and red zone. If we convert our third downs at a high rate and cash our red zone trips into touchdowns, we are going to beat everyone we play. The Cowboys are No. 1 in converting third downs and No. 2 in red zone TD percentage. In other words, elite.”

Sturm also explains how Beckham might simply be using the Cowboys to drive up his asking price in free agency.

“In the end, I suspect that Beckham is doing what he always does,” says Sturm. “Flirt and use the Cowboys to drive up his price. Does he really want to be here and is his body right? I have my questions.”

The Cowboys backing off what seemed like a surefire deal for Beckham has somehow now brought the Philadelphia Eagles in as a possible landing spot, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

The indifference between both the Cowboys and Beckham on what to expect from the latter this season is a clear disconnect that could lead to each side going in a different direction.

It’s also becoming obvious that Beckham might need the Cowboys more than they need him. He’s a 3o-year-old receiver coming off of a serious ACL injury who has yet to go through a workout with any of his interested teams.

Beckham may end up signing with a team before the conclusion of the 2022 season, but it’s looking more and more likely that he may not end up with the Cowboys after all.