The New York Giants wanted to sabotage Odell Beckham Jr.’s career, according to the wide receiver himself. OBJ believes the decision to trade him to the Cleveland Browns in 2019 was the Giants’ way of sending him off “to die.”
Beckham made the brutal claim during an appearance on the “Punch Line Podcast.” Speaking to Baltimore Ravens’ teammate Marlon Humphrey, Beckham said, “You know, there’s semi a bit of me that like, feel like the Giants sent me off, I’ve said it before, sent me off to Cleveland to die.”
Beckham believes he “could have went to the 49ers, I could have went to the Patriots. I could have went to a team that had, you know, a chance to be great. And that’s not what their desire was.”
Instead, OBJ believes the Giants were vindictive when deciding his next destination: “You can’t tell me this was the best trade package we could have got for you.”
Odell Beckham Jr. Believes Giants Wanted Payback With Browns Trade
His theory is the Giants were looking for payback when they sent him to Cleveland: “You feel like I made a fool of you or the organization, and that was never truly, like, my intention.”
Beckham insists he never tried to show the Giants up, but his ambition to win drove his discontent: “I’m just that competitive. Like, I wanted to win. I got, I always wanted to win. I’m tired of being 6-10. We haven’t done anything to make changes.”
A perceived lack of effort to surround two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Eli Manning with enough talent also irked Beckham: “I want to see Eli go out with another Super Bowl, like, we’re not putting the pieces around him, and I feel like I was being wasted as well.”
The Giants sent me off to Cleveland to die pic.twitter.com/zhevrg2YNF
— Punch Line Podcast (@punchlinepod44) January 15, 2024
The idea Beckham was being wasted by the Giants is a little bit of revisionist history. He built his star in the NFL as a member of Big Blue in an offense largely geared to his extraordinary talents.
Those talents translated to being named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014. A further three 1,000-yard seasons followed, with Beckham snagging a career-high 101 catches in 2016.
Congrats to Odell Beckham Jr. @OBJ_3 for being the first #Giant to win the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Award! pic.twitter.com/PXCtbXNZuw
— New York Giants (@Giants) February 1, 2015
While Beckham’s right to value victories and championships over stats, the Giants were trying to win by getting him the ball. Turnover at the front office and coaching levels, along with injuries and off-field drama, ultimately doomed his time with the Giants.
That left the franchise obligated to get the most possible for Beckham on the trade market. The Browns offered best value when they dealt first and third-round picks in the 2019 NFL draft, as safety Jabrill Peppers and guard Kevin Zeitler for OBJ and edge-rusher Olivier Vernon.
It wasn’t the Giants’ responsibility to worry about where Beckham had the best chance to win a championship away from New York. He didn’t come close in Cleveland, but joining the Browns hardly proved the death knell for Beckham’s career.
The wideout posted his last 1,000-yard season during his first year with the Browns. OBJ tallied 1,035 yards on the watch of offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who is now helping Beckham revive his career with the Ravens.
Beckham has a strong chance to add to the Lombardi Trophy he won with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. So he doesn’t need to hold a grudge against the Giants.
In fact, Beckham should thank them because the Giants are the firm losers of this trade.
Giants Lost Odell Beckham Jr. Trade
The Giants lost the Beckham trade in more ways than one. Not only are they still looking for an elite wide receiver to take his place, a search that encouraged Big Blue to pursue a reunion with Beckham last year.
There’s also the not-so small matter of neither of the veterans the Giants acquired no longer suiting up for Big Blue. Zeitler is one of Beckham’s teammates with the Ravens, while Peppers is starting for the New England Patriots. At least the trade did yield All-Pro nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II.
The Giants haven’t been able to build a winner without Beckham, but he’s won a Super Bowl. Albeit, only after being waived by the Browns in ’21.
Now, Beckham is back in the playoffs with the Ravens, the AFC’s strongest team and owners of homefield advantage. If the Giants did intend to ruin Beckham’s career, the plan backfired because things have worked out pretty well for the 31-year-old.
The past is the past, and the Giants must focus on finding the next Beckham to build an improved passing game around.
