Odell Beckham shows love to Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield had his debut with the Carolina Panthers in Week 1 of the preseason and Odell Beckham, Jr. showed him some love before his debut

When the Cleveland Browns traded for Odell Beckham, Jr. ahead of the 2019 season, there was an expectation that he and Baker Mayfield would be running up scoreboards for the next several years.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. While OBJ did record 1,035 yards receiving in his first season with the Browns, things fell apart quickly after that. Beckham missed the majority of the 2020 season due to a torn ACL and a reported rift between him and Mayfield preceded his release shortly after the trade deadline.

To their credit, neither player went public with any disagreement and it would appear they still want to root for one another. That was shown this past weekend when Mayfield was set to make his debut with the Carolina Panthers and OBJ replied to a picture of the quarterback by simply saying “go shine!!!!!!!”

Baker Mayfield debut game

Mayfield ended up getting the start in Week 1 as the Panthers took on the Washington Commanders. This is a good sign for him as he continues to try and lock down the No. 1 job. Currently, Mayfield is battling with Sam Darnold, who played for Carolina last season as well.

In his first game for the Panthers, Mayfield was 4-of-7 for 45 yards and nearly hit a touchdown pass to Robbie Anderson, although it wasn’t exactly a safe throw as Anderson was in double-coverage.

Overall, it was a decent start for Mayfield as he moved the team down the field and they put up three points on a field goal. It doesn’t mean he has the job won but it was a positive step, especially considering he hasn’t been in Carolina very long and seems to already have command of the offense.

As for Beckham, he suffered another torn ACL while helping the Los Angeles Rams win a title. He’s still rehabbing and will be looking for a home this season once again.