The Miami Dolphins released wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. on Friday, ending his brief time with the team.
Beckham had missed the last two days of practice for what the team called personal reasons. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said on Friday that the decision to let Beckham go was mutual.
“Odell and I have been very communicative since he’s been here,” McDaniel said. “He had a tough start in terms of having to rehab his way into the season and then just looking at it as simple as, all right, what’s the best for both him and the team moving forward? And we just thought it was a good time to go that direction. That was the motivation behind it. That’s all.”
Beckham signed a one-year contract with the Dolphins in May but was placed on the physically unable to perform list at the start of the season after undergoing knee surgery in the offseason.
Since making his Dolphins debut in Week 5 against New England, Beckham caught just nine passes for 55 yards in nine games.
Originally signed to be the third receiver behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, Beckham never seemed to find his place in the Dolphins’ offense. With rookie receiver Malik Washington emerging and tight end Jonnu Smith getting more plays, Beckham never took on the role of the third receiver.
Beckham rose to fame in his first five NFL seasons with the New York Giants, then played for four different teams, including the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Los Angeles Rams. He won a Super Bowl with the Rams in the 2021-22 season.
Last season, Beckham had 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns with Baltimore before being released by the Ravens in March.
