Odell Beckham Jr says he will be ‘on standby’ for birth of first child during Super Bowl

Odell Beckham Jr has revealed that he will be “on standby” for the birth of his first child while playing in Super Bowl LVI.

On Sunday, Beckham Jr, 29, a wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams, will be facing off against the Cincinnati Bengals during Super Bowl 56.

However, ahead of the game, the NFL star, who is currently expecting his first child, a son, with girlfriend Lauren Wood, noted that he is “on standby” for the birth - but doesn’t want to put “that energy in the air”.

“I don’t need you to put that energy in the air about the Saturday night or the Sunday thing,” Beckham Jr told the New York Post when asked about the possibility of his son’s birth coinciding with the big game. “I think God has a different plan. I don’t need it during the Super Bowl.

“I want to see my child being born, so I’m on watch.”

The football player and Wood, 28, announced that they were expecting their first child together in November, when Wood shared three black-and-white portraits of Beckham Jr standing behind her and cradling her pregnant stomach.

“Ilyilyily,” Wood captioned the photos.

In December, Beckham Jr shared a series of photos and videos from Wood’s pregnancy on his own Instagram, including one in which he can be seen kissing her stomach.

“My gift won’t be wrapped under a tree this year but I can’t wait to meet you. Merry merry Christmas!!! From Me n minezz!! All luv!” the athlete captioned the post.

While it is not clear when the couple started dating, they made their relationship Instagram official in November 2019. Since announcing the news that they are expecting their first child, Wood has shared a number of posts documenting her pregnancy, including one in which she and Beckham Jr celebrated her baby shower.

Ahead of kick-off on Sunday, Wood revealed on her Instagram Stories that she is in the stands at the big game after posting a photo of herself eating a donut close to the field.