John Johnson III: Odell Beckham Jr. Would Be Welcomed Back by Most Browns Players

Cleveland Browns safety John Johnson III thinks most of his teammates would happily welcome Odell Beckham Jr. back.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Johnson said the "majority of the locker room would love to have (Beckham) in this building."

Johnson's comment comes after NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Beckham was excused from Browns practice for a second successive day.

It appears as if Beckham and the Browns have reached a breaking point.

Beckham's father, Odell Beckham Sr., may have helped escalate things on Tuesday when he reposted a YouTube video on his Instagram page showing a series of plays in which Beckham got open, but Baker Mayfield didn't throw him the ball. 

Per Sports Illustrated's Michael Silver, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski told players on Wednesday that Beckham is "essentially" not on the team right now and has been told to stay home. 

Stefanski said during his Wednesday media session that Browns general manager Andrew Berry and Beckham's agent were talking about next steps. 

Silver did note the issues between the Browns and Beckham appear to be "behind the scenes," and coaches and players have said he "has actually been really good" about everything going on. 

It's unclear at this point if the Browns are going to release Beckham. He would have to clear waivers before being allowed to sign with another club, if that's the direction things take. 

According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, Cleveland would be on the hook for the rest of Beckham's $7.25 million salary if he is released before Week 9 and no team claims him. 

Graziano added the Browns can only suspend or keep Beckham inactive against his will for up to four weeks under the current collective bargaining agreement.  

Beckham is in his third season with Cleveland after being acquired in a March 2019 trade with the New York Giants. The three-time Pro Bowler has 114 receptions, 1,586 yards and seven touchdowns in 29 games as a member of the Browns. 

Cleveland has lost three of its past four games after a 3-1 start to the season. It will play the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday.