Bills defenders call Odell Beckham Jr. a ‘prima donna’ after he threw punches

The Buffalo Bills lost to the New York Giants on Sunday, 24-10. After the fact, many Bills players claim Odell Beckham Jr. threw multiple punches during the game, and are now referring to OBJ as a “prima donna” and a “golden boy.”

Linebacker Preston Brown punched Beckham in the fourth quarter to retaliate because Beckham had punched him first, they say. A few snaps later, OBJ punched safety Duke Williams after he got intercepted. For Beckham’s childish behavior, cornerback Stephon Gilmore described him like a little brother that throws tantrums after the whistle blows. Gilmore further discussed Beckham’s behavior after the game (via buffalonews.com):

“He’s different. It’s kind of like you’re playing your little brother and he gets mad at you for being too physical with him — throwing a tantrum. I’m like, ‘Man, we’re playing football. It’s a physical game. … He’s a prima donna. He feels like he’s on top of the world and nobody’s supposed to do anything to him.”

Beckham’s tantrums didn’t come as a total surprise to the Bills, however. The team watched film of OBJ from the previous week when the Giants played the Washington Redskins and realized that his tacky stunts are part of the way he plays:

“That’s what he does. He’ll get away with it,” Brown said. “He’s the ‘golden boy’ of the league. He’s on the cover of Madden. Sometimes, you get away with stuff like that.”

Williams also said that Beckham talked trash on “every play”, but declined to repeat what exactly was said leaving us to believe the chatter went beyond typical trash.

At least Gilmore got in a personal dig when he compared Beckham to his own teammate, and former first-round draft pick from 2014, Sammy Watkins:

“I don’t really watch TV and listen to the hype. I study guys on the film and then I judge him,” the corner said. “He’s not Sammy Watkins. He has good hands, he can catch. He’s good but he’s not what people think after that one catch.”

If this all went down the way the Bills defenders described it, then maybe Beckham’s recent time in the limelight after being named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year and being awarded the front cover of Madden has truly gone to the young receiver’s head.