Odell Beckham Jr. has always been a showman, on the field, on the sidelines, and in front of a mic. A Super Bowl, NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and movie roles off the field, he has lived many lives in one lifetime. But everything became possible only because he excelled in football. He didn’t just play the wide receiver position, he performed it. And like any great performer, the people feeding him lines (or the ball) mattered. Without them, his dreams would have remained distant.
Legendary QB Eli Manning was already a decade veteran when the receiver joined the NY Giants. The QB-WR relationship was full of respect, admiration, and trust. From 2014 to 2016, Beckham averaged 96 catches, 1,374 yards, and 11 TDs a year. Manning didn’t just throw him the ball, he trusted him to take over games. They even starred in a Super Bowl commercial together in 2018, recreating the Dirty Dancing lift.
However, the charm of Tom Brady is enough for anyone to switch allegiances. On May 31, Odell Beckham Jr. shared an Instagram story with the GOAT and captioned it, “If could woulda shoulda was a picture…” It reveals a deep regret, a chance he missed while Brady played at the Buccaneers.
There was a moment in 2021 when it almost happened. The Bucs were in the mix, and it felt like destiny. But it didn’t materialize as the WR signed with the Rams and won the Super Bowl. Brady, reportedly, wasn’t thrilled. Though the deal didn’t materialize, Beckham’s respect for Brady’s excellence and leadership remained evident.
Quarterbacks have always deeply influenced wide receivers’ careers. With Manning, Odell Beckham Jr. experienced both the highs of record-breaking performances and the lows of team struggles. His near-miss with Brady represents a significant ‘could have’. Through it all, Beckham’s passion for the game and his quarterbacks have been a constant, shaping his journey in the NFL. But the fans always wonder, why did he leave the Big Blue in times of distress?
Odell Beckham Jr. gets emotional over Giants departure
Back in 2019, the NFL world was shocked, but no one more than Odell Beckham Jr. himself. Fresh off a five-year, $90 million contract extension, he thought he was locked in as the Giants’ franchise star. But in a move that blindsided fans and player alike, the team shipped him off to Cleveland.
For Beckham, it wasn’t just a trade, it was a punch. On Saturday’s Champions League Final broadcast with Paramount Plus, Beckham let that pain resurface. “I never, ever wanted to leave the New York Giants. The reason you heard me talking about what was going on was because I was pissed,” he said. And the words didn’t sound like nostalgia, they hit like unfinished business.
The Giants kept losing, and the WR was fed up. He didn’t just want to win in New York. He wanted to be the reason they won again. “If the Giants went and won a Super Bowl, I would be happy,” he admitted, “But deep down, I wanted to be the one.” That dream, the one he’d wrapped in blue and white, never got to play out. Since then, Beckham has worn many jerseys, making it five teams in ten years.
When he finally won a ring with the Rams in 2021, even that triumph felt a little hollow. “Still, you just want that,” he said, nodding to what could’ve been. And now, with his short Miami stint behind him, the path ahead is uncertain again. But one thing’s clear, part of Odell never left New York. And maybe, part of New York still hasn’t let him go.
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