With the playoffs looming, a veteran receiver is suddenly available.

So what happens next for Odell Beckham, Jr.?

He’ll pass through waivers. Anyone who claims him will be picking up the remainder of his $3 million base salary. It works out to $500,000.

If he clears waivers, he becomes a free agent. It’s unclear whether he’d command anything more than the prorated veteran minimum of $1.21 million.

Playoff teams that could use help at the position include the Steelers and Chiefs. Without George Pickens, who has a hamstring injury, Beckham arguably brings more to the table than all of the other receivers on the roster, except Mike Williams.

That assumes Beckham still has gas in the tank. The Dolphins did, but they were wrong. He had nine catches for 55 yards in nine games.

Other potentially interested teams include the Chargers, the Ravens (who gave him $15 million guaranteed in 2023), the Rams (where he played in 2021), the Buccaneers, and the Commanders.

Again, the question is whether he can still play at a high level. He’s not what he once was. Is what he currently is good enough?

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — University of Miami senior Cam Ward has been voted the 2024 Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award winner, as announced on ESPN’s The Home Depot College Football Awards Thursday evening.

Ward is the third Hurricane to garner the country’s oldest and most prestigious quarterback trophy, joining Vinny Testaverde (1986) and Gino Torretta (1992).

The 6-foot-2, 223-pound signal caller leads the nation in passing touchdowns (36) and quarterback rating (88.0) while ranking second in passing yards (4,123), points responsible for (254), and total offense (359.9).

Ward set new single-season school records for both passing touchdowns and passing yards, becoming the first Miami player to tally seven straight 300-yard performances.

The Hurricanes’ first-ever ACC Player of the Year has thrown for at least 300 yards and totaled three touchdowns on ten occasions.

A fifth-year senior, Ward matched Houston’s Case Keenum for the most career passing touchdowns (155) at the NCAA Division I level.

Ward and the Hurricanes have mounted the top offense in the country, as Miami paces all FBS programs in scoring offense (44.2), total offense (538.3), yards per play (7.6), first downs (327) and third down conversion rate (56.5).

The West Columbia, Texas native has guided the Hurricanes to their first 10-win campaign in seven years.

During the regular season, Ward tied for the nation’s lead in Davey O’Brien Great 8 selections, racking up five weekly honors.

Ward bested Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders for the 48th Annual Davey O’Brien Award.

The committee’s members (media, college football experts, and former winners) ranked each player (1st, 2nd, 3rd) on their ballots. Additionally, bonus ballots from the Davey O’Brien Fan Vote were added based on social media fan votes recorded on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Ward will be honored in person at the Davey O’Brien Awards Dinner at The Forth Worth Club in Fort Worth, Texas, on Feb. 17, 2025.