If you thought the end of Odell Beckham Jr.'s first tenure with the New York Giants got ugly, you haven't seen anything yet. Last time, Dave Gettleman (in his infinite wisdom) blindsided him with the trade to the Browns not even six months after extending him, but unlike last time, OBJ feels some type of way about the way his second stint with Big Blue ended.
When John Harbaugh offered him a chance to return to the place it all began, Beckham was clearly hoping it was going to be a long-term stay. And while he made the initial roster, it didn't result in the perfect fairy-tale ending he was hoping for.
He fell down the depth chart so quickly that the Giants cut him after just three games and before he could log a catch. Beckham Jr. subsequently landed on the Minnesota Vikings' practice squad, where he'd reunite with his former Rams' OC (and Vikings head coach) Kevin O'Connell.
And while addressing the media for his first comments as a Viking, OBJ threw some subtle shade at Harbaugh and the Giants for cutting him.
“It seemed as if he wanted me to be here," Beckham said. "It always feels better when you’re doing it for somebody where it feels like their heart is there for it.”
From his perspective, he thinks O'Connell wanted him in Minnesota for the right reasons (as receiver depth and a veteran mentor for fellow ex-LSU Tiger Justin Jefferson), whereas he was unsure of Harbs' motives.
Odell Beckham Jr. isn't happy with how his second Giants tenure ended
When the Giants originally signed Odell Beckham Jr., some fans questioned the validity of the reunion. Could it have been the Super Bowl-winning coach trying to buy some goodwill with the New York media, which is known to be cruel to its coaches? Did he want to nostalgia-bait the fanbase into thinking he was their new Tom Coughlin by bringing one of his former stars back?
This drama feels too high school for a coach who's been successfully doing this for the better part of the last two decades. John Harbaugh is one of the most no-nonsense coaches in the NFL, so there's no way he brought Odell back for any reason other than genuine belief in a player he got to know well.
But here's what we need to remember: it was always gonna be an uphill battle. The three-time All-Pro is now 33 (he'll turn 34 in November), has struggled to stay healthy, and isn't the same elite athlete he once was. Maybe the time machine has him stuck in 2019, when he was one of the best in the business.
So while he can make all of the mind-numbing catches he wants in practice, he wasn't able to do it when it mattered most this time around.
This seems like a weird fight to pick when his only other option when the G-Men signed him was retirement. And while the signing feels pointless now, regardless of what the intent was, all fans are going to remember in a few years is seeing Odell Beckham Jr. burn bridges again after getting cut.
While Beckham Jr.'s name still carries some buzz, he'd be lucky to see the field with the Vikings at this stage of his career.
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