Patriots fans should’ve never gotten their hopes up for Odell Beckham Jr.

The New England Patriots remain a destination, don’t get it twisted. They’re still a desirable team to play for given the coaching staff, organizational stature, and the talent they bring into the building each and every year.

But with Tom Brady no longer in town, it was never going to be as easy to sway disgruntled stars to “greener pastures.” Mac Jones is looking promising, but this Pats offense is nowhere close to consistently productive.

So why did so many fans think Odell Beckham Jr. landing in Foxborough was a realistic possibility?

Simply because he “admires” the greatest coach in NFL history?

Nope, it’ll take a lot more than that in today’s NFL. The Patriots, for as good as their future may appear at this very moment, are not Super Bowl-bound in 2021. So when Beckham was cut loose from the Cleveland Browns, it was obvious he would choose a contender with the best shot to win, considering his skill set would be in high demand.

That’s why he chose the Los Angeles Rams.

Patriots fans getting excited for Odell Beckham Jr. wasted their time.

Life is undoubtedly tough when you don’t have the TB12 marketing team helping Antonio Brown force his release from the Raiders to join the Patriots, isn’t it?

All kidding aside, though, we understand there are down-to-earth Pats fans out there who realize there are going to be a lot of growing pains over the next couple of years. This team is far from the top-to-bottom complete behemoth it was for two decades. But those logical voices are drowned as the crazed fanatics try to come up with every last possible reason why OBJ should join their favorite team. They’re tracking his fake airport appearances. They’re pulling quotes from years ago about his commentary on Belichick and the Pats.

Maybe this result will serve as a slice of humble pie for those who still believe the Patriots still run the NFL. Probably not, though. Patriots Twitter is a crazy place.

It’s just incomprehensible that the pedestrian fan can watch this team week in and week out and think OBJ would want to join the 16th best passing offense in the league. The Patriots and Mac Jones average 238.8 yards per game through the air. That’s somehow worse than the lowly Giants, Jets and Falcons. New England’s rushing attack and defense have been responsible for the team’s three-game winning streak. That’s pretty much the Browns’ bread and butter, too, which is where OBJ didn’t want to be.

Maybe Beckham likes the way the Patriots end this season and considers them heading into 2022. But there was never any chance for Belichick and Co. at this very moment when other teams like the Rams, Packers and Chiefs entered the conversation. And a large sect of the fan base just wasted a lot of time working themselves up into a frenzy to now be let down by a decision that was never going to fall in their favor.

Patriots Rumors: Where does New England stand in Odell Beckham Jr. chase?

Where do the New England Patriots rank in the Odell Beckham Jr. chase among the Packers, Saints, Chiefs and Seahawks? The answer won't surprise you.