It’s been a lot longer in the making than it seems.
Browns receiver Odell Beckham Jr. asked to be traded on multiple occasions this year, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He first requested a trade in the offseason, while recovering from a torn ACL suffered against the Bengals last year.
His most recent request came after what will end up being his last game with the team, Sunday’s home loss to the Steelers.
The Browns tried to trade Beckham, but they found no takers. Discussions occurred with the Saints, but the two teams couldn’t agree on compensation for the Browns or the amount of Beckham’s remaining salary that the Browns would pay.
The situation became public on Tuesday morning, with Odell Beckham Sr. posting a video that showed various occasions in his OBJ was open and quarterback Baker Mayfield failed to get Beckham the ball. Then, LeBron James tweeted, "#FreeOBJ.” Per Cabot, the social-media campaign “created a firestorm” for the Browns, and it “left Mayfield beside himself.”
It’s ultimately going to leave Beckham with a new team. As PFT reported last night, and as others have confirmed, the Browns plan to release Beckham today, his 29th birthday.