The 49ers didn’t have a real shot to land free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. this year, but it wasn’t because he didn’t want to suit up in red and gold. Before he was traded to the Cleveland Browns, Beckham tried to convince the 49ers to make a play for him according to general manager John Lynch.
Rumors about Beckham approaching the 49ers during a Giants-49ers game in Santa Clara have floated for awhile, but the GM had never directly addressed it. He said in an appearance on KNBR in San Francisco that Beckham talked to him before one of their matchups in 2017 or 2018.
“He’s been fond of our place,” Lynch told the Bay Area radio station. “I mean, shoot. I’ll never forget, four years ago or something, he came up to me in pregame in New York saying, ‘get me here, get me here.’ I probably shouldn’t be saying that, but I didn’t tamper, it was him.”
The 49ers haven’t played in New York since Lynch became the GM, but the Giants played at Levi’s Stadium in 2017 and 2018. Given that Beckham didn’t play in the 2017 matchup, it was probably the 2018 game Lynch was recalling.
However, there was also speculation after Beckham and the Browns got beat by the 49ers in 2019 that the receiver told quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to “come get me.”
A 3-5 record and losses in five of their last six games probably kept the 49ers from being real contenders for Beckham, who became a free agent this week after being released by the Browns. He eventually signed with the Rams.
While Beckham’s desire to play for the 49ers didn’t help them this year, it could be a factor in free agency this offseason. The receiver will only be under contract with Los Angeles through the rest of the season before hitting the open market next year.
San Francisco hasn’t taken many big swings in free agency since Lynch took over the front office, but acquiring Beckham could be something they aim to do in the offseason if they deem receiver to be a big enough need.