Beckham ‘here to prove something’ with Dolphins

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. wants to make a statement as he enters the twilight of his career.

“I’m always here to prove something,” Beckham said during his introductory press conference Wednesday, according to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. “It’s about finishing strong – ending my career on my terms, however long that is, one year, two years, three years. If this is my last year … want to finish it on a high note.”

The 31-year-old agreed to terms on a one-year deal with a base salary of $3 million with the Dolphins earlier in May.

In his sensational rookie campaign, Beckham recorded 91 receptions, 1,305 yards, and 12 touchdowns, earning him the 2014 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award. The former first-round pick went on to record at least 1,300 yards and 10 TDs in each of his first three seasons with the New York Giants.

The LSU product, who’s known for his one-handed grabs, has struggled to regain his Pro Bowl form after the Giants traded him to the Cleveland Browns in March 2019. Since his 1,035-yard debut season in Cleveland, Beckham hasn’t approached 1,000 yards in a campaign.

Beckham was a member of the Los Angeles Rams Super Bowl LVI roster but suffered a torn ACL in the game that sidelined him for the 2022 season. In 2023, Beckham served as a veteran presence for the Baltimore Ravens on a one-year deal. He compiled 565 yards to go along with 35 catches for three scores.

Miami boasts an offense that is predicated on speed. “I gotta get back on the track, because (there’s) some speed down here,” Beckham said. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are among the top pass-catching options for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

The veteran wideout credited head coach Mike McDaniel with selling him on joining the team. “It’s just his energy. We speak the same language. The conversations we had about football,” Beckham said, according to The Palm Beach Post’s Joe Schad.

Beckham said he’s more at peace on and off the field after carrying anger and resentment earlier in his career and no longer needs to be the top option in the passing game. Having endured some setbacks in recent years, the veteran is eager to finish his career on his own terms.

“I’m a competitor,” Beckham said of his career. “Forget the middle part. You read a book. The start is going to capture us. You read the body of the story. And how’s it going to end? That’s where I’m at. Let’s have a great ending to this story.”