Free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr has been in the news frequently while fans anxiously await to find out what team he is going to pick. He made headlines Sunday but not because he picked a team.
Odell Beckham Jr has been a headline for the majority of the 2022 NFL season due to his status as a free agent. While Beckham Jr is coming off of an ACL tear in the most recent Super Bowl he was also playing at a high level prior to the injury. Before he left the field at the Super Bowl playing for the LA Rams against the Cincinnati Bengals he had secured 2 catches for 51 yards and a touchdown. Beckham Jr was a contributor for the Rams for the eight games he played in after leaving the Browns.
Beckham Jr however made headlines again on Sunday, November 28, 2022. While many expected Beckham Jr to finally be selecting a team as the league draws closer to Week 13 the incident revolved solely around Odell Beckham Jr’s conduct. Again.
Beckham Jr was reportedly removed from an airplane in Miami after failing to initially wake up when airplane staff tried to rouse him. When Beckham Jr finally woke up he was argumentative and disruptive to the point where he refused to put on his seat belt and was escorted off the plane by law enforcement.
Beckham Jr had started to tweet about the incident prior to the news breaking where he very much led the public to believe that he had been the victim in this incident.
Never in my life have I experienced what just happened to me… I’ve seen it alll..
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) November 27, 2022
Add this to the list of incidents where Beckham Jr took no responsibility but on the flip side actually views himself as being the victim or the person “in the right”. Beckham Jr’s attorney released a statement vindicating his client and citing an “overzealous” flight attendant as the reason for the incident. One of the common theories, in this case, is that Odell Beckham Jr once again has considered himself above the rules of the “common man” and should be given special treatment. Beckham Jr expressed his lack of remorse on Twitter calling the incident “comedy hr.”
One Twitter user that was on Beckham Jr’s flight did not seem to find anything comedic about the flight delay, law enforcement presence, and inconvenience to everyone else on the plane.
Forcing us off the plane because you were unresponsive and unruly is not comedy to the hundreds of folks trying to get home dude. Not cool man. pic.twitter.com/9w6Y2X0sE4
— CG (@TheMalibuArtist) November 27, 2022
The lack of accountability leads one to question Odell Beckham Jr’s maturity which has been the case since he entered the league. The list of incidents and inter-team issues goes on and on;
- Drama in New York: Kicking the goal, Josh Norman fight, “Boat Photo”, questionable video from Paris, traded to Cleveland Browns
- Banned from LSU after appearing on campus handing out cash to players, intoxicated, and slapping a police officer’s rear.
- Beckham Jr’s father (completely unbeknownst to Beckham Jr) posting a video of then Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield missing throws to Beckham Jr, sparking rumors of locker room issues
- Released by the Browns
After all of these incidents, which are more issues than most players have in a 20-year career, Beckham Jr still sees himself as someone that handles himself on and off the field in the right way.
As if I needed more motivation. Ima make my son proud asf when I’m done wit all this, from what I did on the field, to the way I handled all the other Shxt that came wit it. Zydn…son I love u… and daddy gone make u proud. I mean tht.
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) March 17, 2022
You can’t be upset Beckham Jr wants to make his son proud but it’s unfathomable to think that his behavior is anything that should be displayed as an example of someone with a strong sense of responsibility and maturity.
The rumors circulating around whichever team Beckham Jr lands on next have said that Beckham Jr is looking for stability and security in a long-term deal, not a short-term contract that will make him a free agent again when the season concludes in February. Beckham Jr is beginning his visits to the Giants, Cowboys, and Bills to see what they have to offer but it should not be a surprise if he does not get the long-term deal he is looking for.
Beckham Jr’s track record of success does not outweigh his list of on and off-field dramatics. It seems to be in the best interest of these teams to utilize Beckham Jr for his athletic prowess on a short-term schedule before the inevitable occurs where locker room or off-field issues begin. Beckham Jr has not had a 1,000-yard season since 2019 and this media attention would be well deserved if it was for Justin Jefferson or Davante Adams but Odell Beckham Jr is simply not that elite of a receiver, on and off the field. This latest incident in Miami is just another example of many examples as to why he does not deserve nor should have a long-term deal.