CLEVELAND — Browns coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed Friday that wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is set to make his 2021 debut 11 months after sustaining a serious knee injury.
Beckham is set to rejoin the Browns lineup Sunday against the Bears. The game will likely mark Beckham’s first game since last October. Beckham last caught a pass Oct. 18, 2020.
He was a full go at practice this week. After several solid days of practice, Stefanski expressed his confidence that Beckham can rejoin the Browns.
And his presence is sorely needed given the recent injury to Jarvis Landry. Landry will miss at least three games after sustaining a sprained MCL.
“He looked good; he had a good week,” Stefanski said.
Whether he’ll play a full number of downs or see limited minutes is still to be determined, Stefanski said.
“He did everything. He took every rep,” Stefanski said about Beckham’s week at practice.
Beckham said he wanted to go against the Chiefs two weeks ago, but “it just didn’t happen that day.”
“Everything is going smooth,” Beckham said of his recovery. “Just been part of the progression the entire time. Just working my way back into it. Everything feels good so just taking it day by day.”
Whether Beckham can rekindle the production he had in New York remains a question. The 28-year-old had declining production before his nearly year-long injury.
He could be helped by Baker Mayfield’s league-leading passing percentage. Mayfield is also third in yardage per attempt.
Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt noted how Beckham can fill the leadership void Landry’s injury caused.
“Losing Jarvis is big – obviously his leadership role and a production role – so having people to fill in and take that space will only help us,” Van Pelt said. “Any time you get great players back on the field, it only makes you better for sure.”
