Reunions come in all shapes and sizes. There are family reunions, class reunions, workplace reunions, the forever-dreaded night-before-the-holidays reunion, and the always electric player reunion — a fan favorite who once lost their way returns home for a highly anticipated round two.
For a brief moment, it felt like New York Giants fans might actually get that with Odell Beckham Jr. His recent comments during the Beckham & Friends Live broadcast at the Champions League Final made it pretty clear he never wanted to leave the Giants in the first place. You could practically hear the “bring him home” crowd gearing up again.
But any optimism about a potential OBJ return lost all of its traction thanks to Chris Simms on Pro Football Talk. The former NFL quarterback (and son of Phil Simms) didn’t sugarcoat it:
“Where we are now, it seems like it’s over for Odell Beckham Jr. in his career. It was an awesome run. But I don’t think it hit the maximization or the full potential, what it fully could be because maybe some of the issues he started and some injuries there with the Giants as well.”
Chris Simms doesn’t see a future for Odell Beckham Jr. in the NFL
Beckham’s decline hasn’t been subtle. Miami made that obvious. Nine catches, 55 yards, and a December release pretty much said it all. He only had nine catches for 55 yards, then was released in December. For a guy who once looked like a lock for the Hall of Fame, it's truly sad how fast things have fallen apart.
Injuries have always held Beckham back from hitting his ceiling, and at this stage of his career, those concerns are only growing louder.
The unsigned free agent will be 33 in November. His burst is all but gone, and so is the production. If this really is the end, it’s not the one Giants fans pictured — not after the hot start he had in New York.
For a lot of Giants fans, the frustration has never really been about what Beckham became after he left. It’s been about the fact that he never should’ve been forced out in the first place by then-general manager Dave Gettleman. OBJ had more to give. It’s still fair to wonder what his career looks like if he plays out that $90 million contract in East Rutherford.
Simms didn’t say anything fans couldn't already assume on their own, but the way he said it made it feel infinitely more final. Beckham always wanted New York to be his whole story, not just his starting point. The reunion fans wanted never happened, and it’s hard to see a path where it does now and that is a massive bummer. He left so much on the table.