FRISCO, TX — According to the man who signs the checks, Odell Beckham, Jr. is on the verge of joining the Dallas Cowboys for the upcoming NFL playoffs.
“Odell is going to join us,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said 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 the majority of it is about now.”
Jones did not disclose financial terms, but stated that the star wide receiver, who is coming off ACL surgery after being injured in Super Bowl 56 for the Los Angeles Rams, will be signed to a contract for the remainder of the season.
Jones stated that the deal could become official after the Cowboys (10-3) attempt to win their fifth consecutive game on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“He’s been working out,” Jones explained, “and he’s extraordinary.”
Earlier this month, it appeared that Beckham, 30, and the Cowboys would not reach an agreement because his return was contingent on his availability for this season. However, as the week progressed, Jones indicated on several occasions that the team’s interest had not waned. Beckham has also had conversations with the Buffalo Bills and the New York Giants.
As he recovers from knee surgery, Beckham must obviously weigh the risk of a setback that could jeopardise his chances of landing a long-term contract. Meanwhile, Jones is focused on the short term, expressing confidence that Beckham will be healthy enough to make a difference in a Super Bowl run.
“I’m hoping we can get into some big games and get 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? Yes, I believe so. That is not an exaggerated thought.”
It’s also not an exaggeration to think that Jones, who added veteran T.Y. Hilton to a receiver corps led by Cee Dee Lamb earlier this week, is willing to bet big on the possibility of adding a significant weapon.
“The great ones, the extraordinary ones, have the ability to make a play or two in a game that can mean the difference between winning or losing a world championship,” Jones said. “It’s kind of against the principles of all the practises, the repetition that you do for football. That is not the case. But the reality is that it does happen. That has been my driving force.”
