Beckham excited to test skills against healthy Sherman

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Odell Beckham Jr. missed the final 11 games last season with a serious ankle injury that required surgery. Cornerback Richard Sherman last season, in his first year with the 49ers, missed the final seven games — the first time he missed any action in his NFL career — after tearing his right Achilles tendon.

Just like that, Beckham made a connection with Sherman. On Monday night, the two marquee players, fully healed, will battle each other when the Giants face the 49ers.

“I like that Sherm came back and he’s playing at a high level,” Beckham said. “Excited to go against him. We went against each other my rookie year. This is a guy who I’ve been at the Pro Bowl with, a guy who’s big brother-ish, and he kind of gives me the advice and he showed me the ropes, and all those things.”

Beckham was playing in his fifth NFL game Nov. 9, 2014, in Seattle, where he went against Sherman for the first time. In the first quarter, Beckham announced himself with a stop-and-go move on the right sideline. Sherman stuck with the rookie but only until Beckham turned on the jets and ran past him to haul in a 44-yard completion. Beckham finished with seven receptions for 108 yards, working mostly against Sherman.

After the Seahawks’ 38-17 victory, Sherman said: “Beckham is a great player.”

Two years ago, Sherman ranked the toughest receivers he has ever gone against and did not list Beckham, citing Julio Jones, Brandon Marshall, Larry Fitzgerald, A.J. Green and Antonio Brown as the top five, then throwing in Doug Baldwin as an extra selection.

Sherman is no stranger to trying to gain the mental edge, and back in 2016, he mused about a cornerback attempting to get inside Beckham’s head.

“If you go at a player like that, it can go one of two ways,” Sherman wrote. “He’ll either get more frustrated and get further off his game — which we’ve seen with Odell — or he could turn around and smoke a guy for 200 yards, and you just woke up a sleeping dragon.”

The wildfires in California caused the 49ers to alter their practice plans Friday, moving their session to earlier in the day because of concerns of deteriorating and unhealthy air quality.

Former Giants running back and Ring of Honor member Ron Johnson, 71, died Saturday after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Johnson began his career with the Browns in 1969 and played for the Giants from 1970-75. He had two 1,000plus-yard seasons and finished with 4,308 yards on the ground and 1,977 yards receiving in a six-year career.