There’s no doubt that one of the last great New York Giants players who had a major impact both on the field and with the fans was Odell Beckham Jr., who is currently a free agent at 32 years old after playing with the Miami Dolphins-though his time with the Florida team was largely uneventful.
The New York Giants, although currently among the worst teams in the NFL, remain a franchise that has won four Super Bowls and been home to many great players. Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms, Carl Banks, Harry Carson, Eli Manning, Michael Strahan, Tiki Barber, Jeremy Shockey, Amani Toomer, and of course, Odell Beckham Jr.
OBJ arrived in 2014 as a first-round pick out of LSU, and despite entering the NFL with some injuries, his impact was immediate-he quickly stole the hearts of Giants fans. Beckham played from 2014 to 2018 with New York, putting up an impressive 5,476 receiving yards and 44 touchdowns before being traded to the Cleveland Browns.
Odell Beckham Jr. never wanted to leave the Giants
At that time, Odell Beckham Jr. was the top idol among Giants fans-above even Eli Manning. He was the kind of playmaker who was a rare gem. However, the team was going through tough times, and despite being the highest-paid wide receiver at the time, the new general manager in 2019, Dave Gettleman, decided to trade OBJ to the Browns.
Time has passed, OBJ has played for several teams, and it seems retirement is near. Still, he has taken time to speak about his past and mentioned that he never wanted to leave the New York Giants.
“I never, ever wanted to leave the New York Giants,” Beckham Jr. said.
“The reason you heard me talking about what was going on was because I was pissed, because, where I come from in college, if we lost one game, our season was over.”
“This was the organization that drafted me. They believed in me. So if the Giants went and won a Super Bowl, I would be happy. But deep down, I wanted to be the one. No question. So I’ll always carry that. Then, someone like me, I went to the LA Rams and won a Super Bowl. But still, you want that.”
In four years with the Giants, Odell Beckham Jr. was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, was selected to the Pro Bowl three times, and holds the franchise record for most receiving yards in a player’s first three years (4,122). Even so, the team chose to trade him-perhaps one of the biggest mistakes in Giants history.
After leaving the Giants, Odell Beckham Jr. played for the Cleveland Browns, the Los Angeles Rams (with whom he won a Super Bowl in 2022), the Baltimore Ravens, and the Miami Dolphins. Now, at age 32, it seems retirement could be next-unless he finds one more opportunity.
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