If New York Giants star Odell Beckham Jr. steps up on the field, then nothing that’s said about his generally inconsequential actions off of it will matter.
Odell Beckham Jr. is giving a crash course on why playing in the New York media market is such an unenviable task. Despite being, perhaps, the best wide receiver in New York Giants history, Beckham has been at the heart of a steady stream of criticism.
It’s a harsh reality that the criticism will persist throughout his career, but the outside noise will be proven irrelevant if Beckham executes on the field.
Beckham has been lambasted for everything from skipping voluntary OTAs to going out on a boat before a playoff game to dancing with his friends. Whether fair or foul, he’s become a divisive figure amongst Giants fans and general NFL viewers.
Yet, when it comes to what transpires on the field, there haven’t been many players who have ever performed at his level.
Just three seasons into his NFL career, Beckham is rapidly climbing the franchise’s all-time receiving lists. He’s No. 12 in career receptions, No. 15 in career receiving yards, and No. 8 in career receiving touchdowns.
Perhaps even more impressively, Beckham is one of just three players in NFL history to record at least 1,000 receptions and 10 receiving touchdowns in each of his first three seasons.
Odell Beckham Jr. joined John Jefferson & Randy Moss as only WR in NFL history w/ 1,000 rec. yds & 10 TD catches in each of 1st 3 seasons pic.twitter.com/7xrHgTNLya
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 19, 2016
Any wide receiver who’s mentioned in the same breath as Randy Moss is likely to be doing something right.
If Beckham continues to produce at an all-time level, then the talk will die down about what transpires off the field. The caveat to that statement is that, along with the production, he must compose himself on the field.
That means no fights with kicker equipment, no giving in to Josh Norman’s taunts, and no compilation of drops in postseason games.
Thus, while I’m certainly sympathetic to Beckham for how outrageous some of the criticism has been, this is what being one of the biggest stars in New York entails. He’s held to the highest of standards, and that’s especially true with a four-time Super Bowl champion.
The only way to avoid the criticism is to channel one’s energy and frustration to what needs to be done on the field.
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The circumstances may not be ideal, but Odell Beckham Jr. can silence his critics with the New York Giants.