Odell Beckham Jr. reveals his true feelings on the New York Giants’ decision to release him for a player who just got injured
The New York Giants cut Odell Beckham Jr. last week to make room for a returning veteran. Beckham has now responded on Instagram, and the days since his release have only added fuel to his frustration.
The New York Giants caught a lot of people off guard last week when they released wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Now Beckham has responded to the decision, and the timing of his reaction lines up with an ironic turn of events in New York.
The player the Giants released Beckham to make room for will no longer be suiting up for the team either, at least for the foreseeable future.
Odell Beckham Jr. responds to the Giants’ decision to release him
Beckham took to Instagram to respond to his release. He said a lot, but a few lines stood out.
“I didn’t see this one, my brother. They got me. I should have known better. I don’t know why they even gave me the run along. I could have really been playing this year somewhere and making an impact.”
The frustration is understandable. Beckham passed on the chance to land elsewhere this season, and now he’s on the outside looking in after a short stay with the Giants.
To be fair to New York, the front office would tell you this was purely a roster decision. In the Giants’ view, the wide receiver room had too many names, and Braxton Berrios was on his way back. They needed Berrios on the roster for his work on special teams. He’s a returner, and at this stage of his career, Beckham isn’t.
So it came down to numbers. Releasing Beckham was the move that let the Giants bring Berrios back.
Braxton Berrios heads to injured reserve a day later
The story takes a turn here. On Monday, a day after Beckham’s post, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the following:
“The Giants are placing wide receiver Braxton Berrios on injured reserve due to a foot injury that he sustained during Sunday’s win over the Cardinals.”
The irony is obvious. If Berrios isn’t returning, Beckham is probably still on the team. The Giants made a numbers decision to keep their returner after running out of practice squad promotions, and now that returner is out of the lineup.
Should the Giants bring Odell Beckham Jr. back?
So the immediate question becomes whether New York should hand that roster spot back to Beckham. Some fans want exactly that, and on the surface, it makes sense. Berrios was the reason Beckham lost his job, and Berrios is now on IR.
The truth is, the logic behind the original decision hasn’t changed. The Giants didn’t release Beckham because they had too many wide receivers in general. They released him because they needed someone who could return kicks and punts. Nothing suggests Beckham is going to start fielding kickoffs or punts at this point in his career.
The way I see it, unless Beckham is willing to take on return duties, I don’t know why the Giants would bring him back. The need on the roster is on special teams, not in the receiver rotation, though you could argue New York needs help there as well.
Still, Beckham has made his feelings known, and the week that followed his release only strengthens his case that he got the short end of the stick in New York.
