INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Odell Beckham Jr. was so good when he broke in with the Giants that it seemed like a match made in football heaven; a perfect pairing of player, franchise and city to stand the test of time.
It did not last, for a variety of reasons, and blame can be shared by Beckham and the team for not making it work. Five years was the duration of this relationship, from the selection of Beckham with the No. 12 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft to when he was traded away to the Browns.
Beckham forced his way out of Cleveland earlier this season and he is where he wants to be, with the Rams, making it to Super Bowl 2022 – his first big game eight years into his career.
It will not end with the Giants, but it did start there.
Odell Beckham with the Giants in 2018 Getty Images“Those are some of the greatest years of my life,” Beckham said. “To a place that gave me a home from the start and if there’s anything that I could look back on and wish was different, it would be that I would be having this same opportunity with them, or not having the losing seasons and just being part of a winning culture and organization.
“Because I wanted that for New York just as bad as anybody. This, to me, feels like it’s for everybody in my career, just being exactly where I’m at now with the opportunity to win a Super Bowl. Just want to take full advantage of it.”
Ready to start your Super Bowl 2023 betting?
- Read the latest Super Bowl betting news and views
- Get up to $16,000 in bonuses from the best betting sites in the USA
- Download our expert’s top sports betting apps
- Take advantage of these sportsbook promo codes
Beckham in 59 games for the Giants had 390 receptions for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns. A fractured ankle slowed him down, and he played in only four games in 2017. With the Browns, a torn ACL limited him to seven games in 2020 and took another toll on his lower body. He had 27 catches for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight games for the Rams in the regular season and has come on strong in the playoffs, with 19 receptions for 236 yards and one touchdown in three games.
He might not be exactly what he was, but Beckham is showing he has plenty more to offer an offense.
Odell Beckham makes his famous one-handed catch with the Giants Getty Images
Odell Beckham with the Giants in 2014 Getty Images“I always talk about the LeBrons, the Jordans,” Beckham said. “LeBron at 37 years old, is he the same guy he was at 26, 27? Yes and no, you know what I mean? His game has evolved, but does he still jump a 50-inch vertical? I don’t know. It could be 49. I may jump one inch shorter, but I know a lot more [about the] game and have a lot more experience. I feel like I’m capable of playing at a high level. I can’t really compare if I’m still the same or anything like that. I just know that I have the ability to play now.”
