This week’s Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony is already re-opening a fierce conversation among New York Giants fans: Is Eli Manning a Hall of Famer?
Everyone knows the pros and cons of Manning’s resume, but what about one of his former teammates? Odell Beckham Jr.’s reunion with the Giants is not only invoking nostalgia, but thoughts on the future. FanSided’s Nick Villano asked the Beckham-Hall of Fame question on Wednesday and acknowledged that the veteran receiver is “nowhere” close to contending for a gold jacket.
However, Villano had an idea for how Beckham could earn a Hall of Fame bust:
“If the Giants get even a 33-year-old version of the superstar we used to know, then Beckham can change his legacy,” Villano wrote. “If he gets over that 1,000-yard threshold with Jaxson Dart, Malik Nabers, Cam Skattebo, and John Harbaugh to lift the Giants back to relevance, he could be a Hall of Famer.”
New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has no realistic shot at the Hall of Fame
No one is arguing that Beckham won’t be remembered among the most memorable players of the 21st century. A penchant for one-handed catches and viral social media antics will go a long way in that regard.
But even if Beckham rattled off an improbable 80-catch, 1,000-yard season, there is no chance that he’ll be elected to the Hall of Fame. First off, he isn't even at 600 catches yet. Pierre Garcon had 628, and no one is putting him in Canton. Heck, Brandon Marshall finished with 970, and he’s never been floated as a Hall of Famer.
The same goes for receiving yards. Beckham is at 7,987 yards, which ranks 123rd on the all-time list. Consider that Amani Toomer had 9,497 yards. There’s your answer to the Beckham-Hall of Fame question.
In fairness to Beckham, though, there is a considerable logjam of Hall of Fame-worthy receivers. Torry Holt still isn’t in, which is utterly nonsensical and yet another black mark against the voting process. Steve Smith Sr. is eighth all-time in yards, and he was a Hall of Fame finalist last year.
Even if Beckham stayed healthy and was a solid No. 2 receiver the last few years, he needed so much to go right for him to even be an eventual Hall of Fame semifinalist. Obviously, that didn’t happen, though he did win a Super Bowl with the Rams.
That said, Beckham is almost certainly a lock to eventually enter the Giants’ Ring of Honor. He remained beloved by the fanbase even before this summer’s reunion, and it’ll take a complete disaster for that to change. For the sake of our collective sanity, let’s hope that an Antonio Brown-type tantrum isn’t headed our way come Week 1.
Please?
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