Odell Beckham Jr. Says Ravens Debut Is Like His 1st Game: It 'Feels Like a Reset'

Odell Beckham Jr. is excited to return to the field this year after missing the entire 2022 campaign due to a torn ACL, and he told reporters this week that Sunday's season opener feels its his first-ever NFL game.

"The whole thing feels like a reset for me," Beckham said. "There's been a lot of like deja vu moments of little things happened. It just kind of feels reminiscent of my rookie year in a sense -- just the feeling of the excitement that I have to play football and just a new opportunity, a new life. So I don't know what to expect, but I'm excited."

Beckham signed a one-year deal with the Ravens in April and he'll lead a receiving room that includes Rashod Bateman, rookie Zay Flowers, Devin Duvernay, Nelson Agholor and Tylan Wallace.

Star quarterback Lamar Jackson has boasted about Beckham's ability throughout the summer, and he didn't suffer any setbacks in training camp that prevented him from hitting the next gear.

"I feel like our chemistry, it's there," Jackson said last month, via the team's website. "And he's a lot faster than people give him credit for. A lot faster."

Struggling with injuries in 2020 and 2021, Beckham caught just 67 passes for 856 yards and eight touchdowns in 21 games between the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Rams. Prior to that, he recorded 1,000 receiving yards in five of his first six seasons.

Beckham did not play in any of Baltimore's three preseason games, but he won't be on a snap count for the team's Week 1 opener on Sunday against the Houston Texans, according to head coach John Harbaugh.

"He's very aware of the fact that he hasn't played in a long time and how excited he is and how much he's put into getting himself back to this point," Harbaugh said. "When you commit so much, you make so many sacrifices, you work so hard, you know that those are investments that are made with your time, your energy, your effort and your emotions. I know he is looking for that to pay off."

Beckham has already proven that he can be one of the best receivers in the NFL when healthy, but he's going to have to re-establish himself this year if he hopes to land a more lucrative contract in 2024.