A few months ago, thinking about Odell Beckham Jr. returning to the Giants via free agency was nothing but a pipe dream. While there are reasons why a reunion isn’t a good idea, it could be on the verge of happening anyway.
Big Blue will have to duke it out with the Dallas Cowboys, though. And on more than one level.
OBJ is rumored to be visiting both the Cowboys and Giants after Thanksgiving. Thursday’s matchup in Dallas is one between two 7-3 teams in very different spots. The Giants haven’t looked great in their two games following a bye and are pretty banged up. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are fresh off a 40-3 thumping of the Minnesota Vikings.
Injured wide receiver and close friend, Sterling Shepard, added some intrigue to Beckham’s lingering decision. In chatting with Pat Leonard of the Daily News, the wideout said this:
I talk to him every day, but we don’t talk about [his decision] too much. Obviously he knows that we want him here. He would love to be here. But everything has to play out for that to happen. There’s a whole bunch of intangibles that have to play out for him to be here. And I understand that. This is a business, and his business has gotta be right for him to do it.
When asked if a Giants Thanksgiving victory could sway the momentum in New York’s favor, Shepard responded with the following:
I don’t think it would hurt! To be honest with you, I don’t think it would hurt. We’d be coming off a pretty big win, a big one for us. Definitely wouldn’t hurt. I can say it.
It’s safe to assume that OBJ will be tuning into Thursday’s NFC East showdown. Will it actually have an impact on his potential decision? It should. If the Giants lose, their struggles would continue with a tough second-half schedule.
We know OBJ will prioritize returning to the playoffs and competing for another Super Bowl. As much as he may want to return to Big Blue, he’ll head to the team that gives him the best chance to win. That’s essentially what Shepard said to Leonard. It’s also clear that Beckham knows how his buddy feels about a potential reunion. That’s the same thing running back Saquon Barkley has said, too.
The Giants don’t need extra motivation in this game, but this certainly qualifies as such.
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
