With Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, Odell Beckham Jr. is assembling perhaps the strongest wide receiver triumvirate in the league in Miami. But the three-time Pro Bowler said that he had some reservations at first about playing with Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
According to Nick Shook of NFL.com, Beckham Jr. stated, “I was definitely a little hesitant at first because he’s a lefty, and I think I shied away from lefties.” However, with further reflection, I was throwing with Jarvis Landry since I was fifteen years old. My trainer is a left-handed person.
Debating whether to join a team based on the quarterback’s dominant arm may not seem like a big deal to some, but it may feel different for a receiver like Beckham Jr., who has been catching from right-handed throwers his entire career.
Luckily for the Dolphins, they were able to convince him that, despite being left-handed, Tagovailoa throws the football as well as anyone.
“They said he just throws different. They said the accuracy and the spin, they’re like it’s not really like he’s left-handed,” Beckham Jr. added. “Just watching his film, there’s a lot of great things that he’s been doing.”
Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing yards last season with 4,624. He also threw 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions and should only improve those numbers with the addition of Beckham Jr. at his disposal.
Beckham Jr. had other options, where he could have made more than he is in Miami. But he knows his best ball is behind him at 31 and believes the Dolphins give him the best chance to impact when on the field.
“I haven’t been the No. 1 [receiver] in a minute,” Beckham finished. “So just understanding your role and how can you be the very best at that role, maximize those opportunities.”
With Hill and Waddle likely to face double teams in 2024, Beckham Jr. has a good chance to have a similar or even better season than he did with the Ravens last year when he registered 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns.
Leave a Reply