CLEVELAND — All week, Browns players and coach Kevin Stefanski had to answer questions about the unfolding drama surrounding wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
Now that Beckham has officially been released, Stefanski said his team is solely focused on its matchup Sunday against the Bengals.
“We are moving on,” Stefanski said. “It is unfortunate how it happened. I think it is unfortunate for both sides, but we have to move on and put our focus on this game versus Cincinnati.”
Defensive lineman Myles Garrett said he spoke with Beckham since the wide receiver was excused from practice earlier in the week. Garrett confirmed that Beckham had become disgruntled over the number of passes targeting him.
“The man had one touch last week, and he was disgruntled,” Garrett said. “I can’t tell you rightfully so, but he is the No. 1 receiver, and the No. 1 receiver, you have to expect some things are going to come with that. For it to spiral out of control like this, I feel like it should not have gone this far, but I do not make those decisions. At the end of the day, we have to come together as a team and put it on ourselves for the people in this building.”
Garrett said he knew at the end of Sunday’s game when the players walked off the field that Beckham was frustrated.
“I knew he was really frustrated,” Garrett said. “That is my guy. I want the best for him. I want to see him prosper. I never want to see him down like that. That was it. It was a tough game for everybody. I did not do enough. He did not – nobody did enough on the field. To see him disappointed from the game, his performance and all that happened, I threw my arm around him just trying to tell him that whatever happens, know we are going to be alright.”
Stefanski acknowledged that his team will have to adjust without Beckham.
“Sometimes you adjust week to week,” he said. “Sometimes you adjust day to day, in the middle of the second quarter and those types of things. We just have to adjust.”
Whether Beckham’s presence on the field will truly be missed remains a question. He caught just one pass in Sunday’s loss to the Steelers.
The Browns continued to play well late in the 2020 season without Beckham, who was injured, and managed to win the franchise’s first playoff game since the franchise returned to Cleveland in 1999.
The Browns’ play without Beckham has caused some to question whether the Browns and quarterback Baker Mayfield is better off without Beckham. Club GM Andrew Berry wouldn’t entertain that question.
“This really is not like a Baker question,” he said. “All I can say is I think Odell is a talented player. I think the offense functioned well with him. I think we have seen it function well when he has not necessarily been available. We are focused on making sure that we can score as many points as possible for the rest of the season.”
Garrett said what transpired over the last week could bring the players together.
“It did the first time he went out, even though that was against anyone’s wishes, but we found a way,” Garrett said. “I think this year, we are going to do the same thing. We just have to bring our heads together. We know it is different circumstances, but it is the same result. We have to do like we did last year and make the most out of it.”
