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Odell Beckham Jr.: Former Excellent #1 Wide Receiver Believes Giants 'Failed' Eli Manning
Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Odell Beckham Jr. was once a standout with the New York Giants.

The former 12th overall pick in the legendary 2014 NFL Draft, Beckham became a household name overnight during his rookie campaign with a sensational catch against the Dallas Cowboys. Despite some disciplinary issues during his time in blue, Beckham still contributed heavily to the late stages of Eli Manning’s career, including the Giants’ postseason return in 2016.

This week, Beckham took to Twitter to reminisce about his days in New York, despite openly suggesting that the Giants purposefully sabotaged him.

Odell Beckham Jr. “Loved” Eli Manning

Taking to Twitter, Beckham would respond to criticisms about his tenure in New York:

Odell Beckham Jr. and Eli Manning spent five seasons together with the Giants, and in four of the five, the pair would team up to bring the former LSU star 1,000-yard seasons. Outside of 2017, where early season injuries would end Beckham’s season before it could truly begin, Beckham Jr. had racked up consistent Pro Bowl caliber performances.

Beckham Says Giants also “Failed” Eli

Eli Manning brought the Giants two Super Bowl rings in five seasons, both coming against the formidable New England Patriots. Past that point, the Giants would only find their way to the postseason one more time, and would lose on Wild Card Weekend to the Green Bay Packers.

In the later stages of his career, comprising of the period from 2013 to 2018, the Giants finished all but one of those seasons with a losing record. This was the beginning of the Giants falling away from their long-running period of excellence, having fired Coughlin to mark the end of a period where they only had two coaches from 1998 to 2015.

Despite drafting Saquon Barkley 2nd overall in 2018, the pair only lasted one season together. Barkley managed another five campaigns before leaving the team in 2024.

Would Odell Beckham Jr. Consider a New York Return?

Given the current state of affairs with the New York Giants, Odell Beckham Jr. would unlikely want to return to East Rutherford for 2024 and beyond. Beckham has endured multiple ACL tears, the second coming during Super Bowl 56, where as a member of the Los Angeles Rams, he would collect his first Super Bowl ring. Joining the Baltimore Ravens for 2023, Beckham and the Ravens fell one game short of a trip to Las Vegas.

It remains unclear how the Giants will finally procure top-flight receiving talent, with consensus still split on how to best approach their 6th overall pick in next month’s NFL Draft. The team has missed on Keenan Allen and Mike Williams this week, with Allen headed to Chicago and Williams suiting up for the Giants’ stadium companions in the New York Jets.

A Beckham return always remains possible, but unlikely.

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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