Ad Disclosure
“I Think He Needs to do a Little More Playing and a Little Less Talking.”
Published:
Words of wisdom from Giants President, CEO, and co-owner John Mara, who is talking about star wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr.
Mara:
Giants owner John Mara just now at owners meetings, re: Odell Beckham: "I wish he would create the headlines by his play on the field as opposed to what he says and what he does off the field. I think he needs to do a little more playing and a little less talking."
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) October 16, 2018
Fair? Probably.
It’s not like OBJ is to blame for the Giants’ woes, since his quarterback can’t get him the ball, but you need the dude to be a leader on and off the field, which does not include headbutting industrial-grade mechanical fans.
Through six games this season, Beckham Jr. has 45 grabs for 506 yards and a touchdown. He has a catch percentage of 65.2 but is only averaging 84.3 yards per game, which places him below his first three NFL seasons, all three of which resulted in Pro Bowl selections.
OBJ recently signed a five year, $90 million contract with the Giants that includes a $20 million signing bonus and $65 million guaranteed. He’s going to be around for many years to come, preferably with Eli throwing him the ball if you’re an Eagles fan.
More from Mara:
Mara emphasized that he knows Eli is the "punching bag" right now, but said a lot of guys have to play better when the team is 1-5. "It's not just him."
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) October 16, 2018
On taking Saquon Barkley and not taking a QB with the second overall pick: "We went with the best player in the draft. I still believe he was the best player in the draft." Said he's thrilled with what Saquon has done already.
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) October 16, 2018
Mara also said he is very confident he has the right guys in the building — meaning Pat Shurmur and Dave Gettleman — to get things fixed. Said he is not sure it's going to be a quick fix. Said he's "embarrassed" to be 1-5.
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) October 16, 2018
It’s about to be 1-6 because the Giants are going to lose to the Falcons on Monday.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com