Statistically, Odell Beckham Jr. is having a nice season. While he’s yet to score a touchdown, the New York Giants star has caught 22 passes for 303 yards.
Mentally, though, Beckham is not enjoying the game.
“Football is my sanctuary,” Beckham said, via ESPN’s Anita Marks. “It’s where I go to escape. It’s where I’m most happy. I’m not having fun anymore.”
It’s always troubling to see things like this. Beckham is only 23 and with his talents should be one of the game’s best receivers for the better part of the next decade. But if he’s not enjoying the game, one has to wonder if his career may be shorter than his talents would suggest it should.
Additionally, it’s not terribly surprising to see these words from Beckham.
His temper tantrum in Week 3’s loss to the Washington Redskins got plenty of attention. But in general, Beckham doesn’t seem to be enjoying himself on the sidelines.
Defensive backs have copied Josh Norman’s model from a season ago and played Beckham physically. From the outside looking in, it appears as though that has frustrated him.
For the sake of Beckham, the Giants and their fans, we can only hope that something happens soon to trigger a different emotion from the star receiver.