Beachum helping build wells in Africa
Lineman does charity work as free agency nears
The NFL free agency frenzy starts Monday, when clubs are permitted to contact and negotiate contracts with the agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents when their contracts officially expire on Wednesday.
Kelvin Beachum will be halfway around the world in the African nation of Zambia, there in person to see the impact the two water wells he helped fund have on communities. The Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman is also set to become a free agent, but isn’t letting that postpone his spirit of service. Along with partner World Vision, Beachum got the wells that will provide clean water constructed.
Beachum and his wife
Saturday for Zambia.
“It’s really exciting times and at the end of the day, we get to go get our hands dirty, we get to go serve,” Beachum said last week. “Neither one of us has ever seen a well erected, so to be able to see well and the water spouting out of the ground and coming out of the ground ... we’re really excited to be able to see that. And not only see that, but also see the response and the love that these young people are going to have when they experience clean water in their community.”
It’s not clear if the Cardinals are still interested in bringing the 33-year-old Beachum back. He signed a two-year contract in 2021, and has played for four NFL teams in a career that has lasted 11 seasons.
Beachum’s recent comments about quarterback Kyler Murray and having to “grow up” weren’t malicious, but did
Jessica
left evoke a response from teammate Hollywood Brown about saying things person to person instead of through media interviews. The Cardinals may want to move on if the comments were deemed critical and detrimental to team unity.
Beachum doesn’t seem concerned. He’s been a free agent before and knows how it affects his family. But they have a plan should the family have to leave Arizona.
“My family and I I have already talked about what was going to happen. My wife said, when I hit free agency in 2016, we need a place to call home, we need a home base. And if you have to go play somewhere else, you go play somewhere else, but we’re going to stay here and build here,” Beachum said. “And the kids are going to go to school. So I understand if I have to go somewhere else, I’ll be staying at a hotel. And when they come into town, we’ll get an Airbnb for everybody to be in for a weekend. But primarily it’s being able to capitalize and maximize and be able to really squeeze everything out of this career as humanly possible. And use this time as wisely as I can.”
Beachum saw the NFL Players Association team by team report card for free agents, published by the NFLPA, it says, to inform free agents when making their decisions on what team they want to play for if offered a deal.
The grades were harsh for the Cardinals, who received F grades for their team facility and treatment of families.
“Now, whether guys use that information or not is up to them . ... And I said this, you know, somebody puts a $40 million contract in front of you. And you know, you’re deciding between, you know, not playing football and a $40 million contract and you’re talking about a weight room floor, I think you would just build a floor and a weight room at your house and take the contract and get to work,” Beachum said. “So I want to keep that in perspective.”
Beachum also mentioned the things he likes that the Cardinals have, including a fast-flying high quality team airplane for road games.
Beachum was the only Cardinals first-team offensive lineman to start all 17 games in 2022. He takes pride in that, and it could be a reason for Arizona to re-sign him.
Beachum said there is “something special” about what new general manager Monti Ossenfort is trying to implement in terms of the Cardinals organization.
“His ability to really galvanize relationships within that building, I’m excited to see whether I’m here or not, but I’m excited to see what comes from it,” Beachum said.
Before football business, there is a world out there in which the Beachums continue to make a big difference.
“The NFL is a global game. Why can’t the work that we do in the community be as global-oriented as well?” Beachum said. “You know, I’ve been blessed to play a game that literally has taken me all over the world.”