Odell Beckham Jr. states that he felt prevented from reaching his full potential while a member of the New York Giants.
Throughout his time as a receiver for the New York Giants, you could tell Odell Beckham Jr. wasn’t always happy. Beckham seemed frustrated numerous times during games. There were also subliminal things he said in interviews and press conferences that proved his unhappiness. He even got to a point in 2016 where he claimed football wasn’t fun to him anymore.
But now, OBJ is a member of the Cleveland Browns. Big Blue traded him for a first-round draft pick (No. 17 overall), a third-round pick and safety Jabrill Peppers. This came about 6.5 months after the Giants gave him a five-year, $95 million contract extension.
In an interview on Friday with Jacob Davey of Complex, Beckham explained his excitement about his new team and how he felt he was “stuck” while a member of the Giants.
“I can’t wait to get going,” Beckham said. “I just felt with the Giants I was just stuck at a place that wasn’t working for me anymore. I felt like I wasn’t going to be able to reach my full potential there; mentally, physically, spiritually, everything I felt capable of doing, I just couldn’t see it happening there. So I think allowing me to be in an environment where I can be myself and give it a different approach, I feel like my football will benefit. I’m just excited about being able to play football again and not have to deal with all the other stuff and politics that came with my previous role.”
The Giants have made it a priority to rebuild the wide receiving core after trading Beckham. This offseason, they signed Golden Tate to a four-year, $37 million deal and gave Sterling Shepard a four-year, $41 million contract extension.