Dianna Russini Narrows Down Odell Beckham Jr. Destinations to Packers, Chiefs, and Saints

Odell Beckham Jr. is a free agent for the first time in his career and is right now deciding where he wants to finish out the 2021 NFL season. We the people don't really have a good idea where that might be, though. Rumors are abound suggesting the Packers are his desired destination; others are more vague, like that OBJ wants to team up with a veteran QB and an offensive-minded head coach with a legit shot at a title this year.

That changed this morning, as ESPN's Dianna Russini tweeted out the final list of OBJ destinations: the aforementioned Packers, the Chiefs, and the Saints.

It is an interesting glimpse into Beckham's priorities and lines up with the reports we've heard earlier this week. All three destinations feature an offensive-minded head coach who can and will scheme up plays specifically to get him the ball. Two of these destinations feature the most physically talented quarterbacks in the NFL. All three are playoff teams-- to an extent.

Which one he chooses will fill in the whole picture. If his only priority is winning his first playoff game and a legit shot at a championship, he'll be headed to Green Bay. Rodgers has been deep in the midst of an exceptionally negative news cycle for a week but still quarterbacked the Packers to a 7-1 record before testing positive. They'll easily win the NFC North and have a legit shot at the No. 1 seed come playoff time. Plus, Davante Adams is his only real competition for targets.

The Chiefs were supposed to be in the same spot as the Packers but for some reason are not. Yet the opportunity to play with Patrick Mahomes does not come around often, and Andy Reid would absolutely love to have a player of OBJ's ilk to draw up plays for. Kansas City's season is far from over and they've been to two straight Super Bowls. One can see the appeal in helping turn the ship around. The downside is that Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce firmly occupy the top two slots on Mahomes' favorite target list and Beckham Jr.'s stats would not be as impressive as they could be in the other two spots, which will negatively impact his free agency after the year (presuming he does not sign a multi-year deal).

The Saints are the most interesting inclusion on the list. Beckham Jr. went to LSU, of course, so there's a hometown connection there. Sean Payton is on Reid's level as a schemer and OBJ would not be lacking for touches, especially in that woeful receiving room. The issue is who's throwing him the ball. Jameis Winston tore his ACL, leaving Trevor Siemian as starter. Most quarterbacks can exhibit competency in Payton's offense but Siemian obviously pales in comparison to Mahomes or Rodgers. It seems like OBJ would choose New Orleans if his only priority is to enjoy himself and ensure he has the best chance to get paid in a few months.

Out of these three teams, only the Saints really need the talented wideout. The Chiefs, for all their problems, are not lacking in talent in the pass-catching department and the Packers have been just fine with Adams as the No. 1 and everybody else sharing No. 2 duties. New Orleans has a slim shot to win the division again and a pretty good shot at a Wild Card spot, but can only get so far with Marquez Callaway and Tre'Quan Smith as the top two receiving options.

The sweepstakes appear to be coming to a close.