Giants owner John Mara on OBJ video: "I’m tired of answering questions about Odell’s behavior"
It may not be time to panic about Odell Beckham Jr.’s future in New York, but it certainly seems like the Giants ownership and the star wideout have some things to discuss before a long-term contract gets done.
The latest twist again revolves around the controversial video of Beckham in Paris and the perceived mounting drama that comes with employing one of the NFL’s biggest names.
At the NFL owners meeting in Orlando this week, Giants owner John Mara told reporters that the video “wasn’t helpful” and seemed to resent the attention to it in the first place.
“I guess my response to that is I’m tired of answering questions about Odell’s behavior,” Mara said, per the New York Post. “He knows what’s expected of him, and now it’s up to him.”
Beckham is slated to become a free agent following the 2018 season and could receive one of the largest contracts for a receiver in recent memory. Whether or not that’s going to happen in New York might be a premature debate, but it certainly seems like the two sides need to get back on the same page.
The Giants are now in the precarious position of trying to rebuild on the fly after a disastrous 2017 season. In the extreme case that OBJ falls out of their future plans, he could command quite a return in a suddenly trade-happy NFL.
There’s also a chance this is all part of setting the table for contract negotiations and New York is just getting itself situated for one of the most important contract decisions in franchise history. In any case, Mara’s frustration is certainly newsworthy — especially with Beckham’s repeated statements that nothing illicit took place in Paris.
Perhaps it’s just the nature of New York media that’s getting to Mara. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time a seemingly small story has exploded under the microscope of the Manhattan daily papers. In any case, the owner has had enough.
“I’m just tired of answering questions about [Beckham] all the time,’’ Mara said.
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Blake Schuster is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at blakeschuster@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Schustee
