The Browns are without key players throughout their roster on Thursday Night Football but Odell Beckham Jr. is going to fight through his injury.
It’s not a pretty scene for the Cleveland Browns heading into Thursday Night Football against the Denver Broncos on the injury front.
Baker Mayfield is out with a shoulder injury, as are star running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, meaning Case Keenum will start at quarterback with D’Ernest Johnson likely taking the bulk of the running back snaps. Also dealing with a serious shoulder injury has been wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., whose status has also been up in the air for the Week 7 contest.
But as the team went through warmups on Thursday, they got great news about the status of Beckham for the contest.
OBJ will play tonight per source. He’s fighting through this shoulder injury I’m told. I said all day don’t count him out. He’s giving it a go. pic.twitter.com/rU7J1sQJvb
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) October 21, 2021
Odell Beckham Jr. will play for Browns on Thursday Night Football vs. Broncos
Joining former LSU teammate Jarvis Landry, who was activated off of IR prior to the game, Odell Beckham Jr. giving it a go on Thursday Night Football is a big-time positive for the Browns.
Keenum may not have the draft pedigree of Mayfield but he’s A. healthy and B. experienced working and performing well under head coach Kevin Stefanski in this offense. So, especially with the top running backs out for the contest, it’s huge to have the top two wide receiver options on the field.
There could be concern for Beckham exacerbating his shoulder injury as he left last week’s game due to aggravating the ailment. However, with the Browns being so substantially short-handed, it’s commendable in regards to competitiveness that the talented wide receiver is fighting through the pain to play.
And given the chemistry concerns between OBJ and Mayfield, perhaps Keenum at the helm is just what Beckham needs to get his 2021 campaign off the ground.
