Odell Beckham Jr: an NFL career full of ups and downs  

One of the best receivers in the league has not been able to prevent the New York Giants from losing seven matches on the first eight dates of the NFC East

It seems almost impossible that the NY Giants arrived in the postseason in this campaign. The team has not achieved anything important in the NFL for years, so having recovered in the preseason his star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was an important reason to believe in a sports improvement. At least halfway through the regular schedule, this has not happened, because the New Yorkers have the worst record in the NFC East.

Leer en español: Odell Beckham Jr: una carrera en la NFL llena de altos y bajos

According to As, the Giants took an important step in the preseason after losing Odell by 12 commitments in 2017, after he broke his ankle in a match against Los Angeles Chargers. This happened just when they had a 0-5 record, they currently have a 1-7 mark on the first eight dates of the NFC East.

Odell has had to deal with several injuries in just five years on the circuit. After what happened in 2017, the receiver asked for improvements in his contract to return to the team or otherwise he would go to the title candidates today: the Chargers.

Agent Ian Rapoport reported that the Rams would have proposed to the Giants to trade their first-round draft to reach an agreement with Odell. And although the Giants heard the offerings, they were never very happy with the proposal. A proposal that the coach of the Rams, Sean McVay, really liked, according to 12UP. 

As details As, in the first phase of training that took place in April, prior to the 2018 campaign, Odell surprised everyone by training from the first day and showing his commitment to the club. But Odell was not the only ace under the sleeve to try to improve the collective numbers. The Giants bet on Pat Shurmur as head coach and he, in turn, sought to have Odell, according to the same media.

ESPN recalls that Odell was the first-round pick of the Giants in the 2014 draft, but in the middle of a minicamp of what would be his first season in the NFL, he injured his hamstring. He could only play until the 5th week, but his numbers were pretty good for a rookie season, with 91 receptions, 1,305 yards, and 12 touchdowns.

However, Dave Gettleman, the owner of the club, was not very friendly with the idea of the receiver remaining on the team if he did not want to. This despite the fact that in his first three seasons in the league he accumulated more than 4000 yards and 35 touchdowns, historical numbers for the organization. In the end, as As points out, there was a happy ending and ESPN explains why.

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Odell got his way

According to Josina Anderson of the aforementioned media, Odell agreed to a contract extension for five years that transformed him IGNORE INTO the highest paid wide receiver in the NFL. Before the new signing, Odell's complaints were perfectly justified as his previous salary was not even among the top five of his NFL position, says 12UP.

Now he will receive 95 million during the next five years, that is, until 2023, of which 65 are already guaranteed. In this way, he surpasses in that field figures like Robert Woods (Los Angeles Rams), Randall Cobb (Green Bay Packers), Kenny Stills (Miami Dolphins), Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers), and Mike Evans (Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

ESPN adds that the 25-year-old wide receiver reached 90 catches, 1300 yards, and 10 touchdowns per season in 2014, 2015 and 2016. He was also the fastest to reach 200 receptions and 300 yards in league history, in only 30 matches. This is equivalent to a season and a half to get it.

Other figures that highlight Odell's value are his 94.1 receiving yards per game in his career, the second highest number in NFL history for players with at least 40 games played. Odell is only behind Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons, who averages 95.3 in 95 games as a pro.

His relationship with David Beckham and its effect on social networks

The Beckham surname is not the most traditional in the United States. When they mention it many relate it to the former soccer player and English businessmen David Beckham. When Odell broke IGNORE INTO the NFL draft in mid-2014, many joked about a possible family bond with the British star. What few know is that they know each other and profess mutual admiration.

ESPN remembers a moment in 2015 when Odell barely had a couple of years in the NFL and could meet David, one of his sports idols as a child. "He told me, 'you must honor the legacy,'" joked the Giants catcher.

"He also told me that he observed me during the season, seeing some parts in London or Los Angeles, wherever he was, but he has followed me and observed me, and he asked me to continue praising the surname. It was a very unreal moment for me, meeting someone who used to joke that he was my relative," he concluded.

The story of Odell with the media, added to his activity in social networks, has many chapters and controversies. According to As, he recently wrote on Twitter that he would not play in the NFL preseason and this prompted responses from fans. At that time the details of his rehabilitation had not been announced and Odell saw no problems in publishing them.

"People take things very seriously sometimes to write a story, but anything for a couple of 'likes' in this world, it's very sad that this is the world we live in," said the receiver.

LatinAmerican Post | Onofre Zambrano

Translated from "Odell Beckham Jr: una carrera en la NFL llena de altos y bajos"

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