LIFE IS GOOD
• ZEN-LIKE BECKHAM OVERJOYED TO BE BACK • CONFIDENT NEW DEAL WILL ‘WORK ITSELF OUT’
A contemplative and seemingly at-peace Odell Beckham Jr. broke his media silence Saturday, and his words echoed what many of his teammates and coaches have said this summer. He’s engaged, matured, motivated and ready to have a big year, patiently waiting for a contract extension while supremely focused on football.
“After I seen my ankle snap and it feels like your world turns upside down, life’s just different,” the 25-yearold Giants superstar wide receiver and three-time Pro Bowler said in his first extensive public comments since fracturing his left ankle last October.
“For real, I’m just happy to be back out there running around.
“As I’ve been running routes, running around, I remember nights falling asleep downstairs, having to get up to my room and literally having to crawl up three flights of stairs to get to my room. So to be able to walk again, to be able to do the little things, you’re very appreciative of being able to be back out there, and it’s great to be back there with some of those guys.”
Beckham, entering the final year of his five-year rookie contract that will pay him $8.46 million this season, said his ankle is close to 100 percent. Over the last month, he said, it has improved significantly — to the point he’s not even thinking about it. Beckham declined to hold out of camp because “I don’t believe in that stuff.”
The Giants and his agent have begun working on a contract extension, as reported by ESPN earlier this week. His agent, Zeke Sandhu, was at practice Thursday talking to Giants VP of football operations/assistant general manager Kevin Abrams, who handles the team’s contract negotiations, for virtually the entire workout.
Beckham described practicing fully and potentially playing in preseason games as a “calculated” risk. Bonding with his teammates and learning the new offense seemed more important.
“They’ll get it done when they get it done,” said Beckham, who has produced 313 receptions for 4,424 yards and 38 touchdowns in the first 47 games of his career. “Let my agent and them figure it out. … Optimistic? Yeah, I’m optimistic. It’ll all work itself out. Life always does.
“I just know: Do what you’re supposed to be doing, the rest will always take care of itself.”
It was a trying offseason for Beckham. After the injury that led to a lost 3-13 season for the Giants, there was an NFL Network report that he would hold out, and an Instagram video of him in bed with a woman with what appeared to be drugs in the room, leading to trade rumors that he believes were more “noise” and “rumors” than anything substantial. Co-owner John Mara even said at the time that nobody was untouchable, and seemed to be tiring of the neverending drama.
“I literally watched my world feel like it turned upside down,’’ Beckham said. “I watched relationships close to me [collapse] and things go wrong and things go sideways, and it was a lot of pain I went through the last 10 months.
“I remember I used to say all the time, don’t take it personal and stuff, but I still took things personal and I really have gotten that out of my heart to not take anything personal. And with doing that, it’s left things that I used to worry about out of the equation.”
Beckham was vague about having a deadline on a new contract and when he would tell his agent to cut off talks, saying, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
When asked about whether he still wants to be the highest-paid player in the NFL, as he said was his hope last summer, Beckham hedged somewhat. But it’s clear it will take a lot of green for the Giants to get him to sign on the dotted line.
“Of course, who doesn’t want to get more money — everybody does. You got to be realistic with yourself. You see what happened over the offseason,” he said, referring to fellow receivers, such as Mike Evans ($82.5 million), Brandin Cooks ($81 million) and Jarvis Landry ($75.5 million). “Can’t really worry about anybody else. Just let them figure it out, and whenever it happens, it happens.”
For now, he’s more focused on the Giants, on a team he believes can be “special.” He raved about new coach Pat Shurmur and the new-look defense, everyone’s favorite rookie, running back Saquon Barkley, and the closeness he’s seen in the offensive line.
Most of all, Beckham can’t wait for game days again, to get back onto the field after 10 long months. He remembers having trouble walking, and laughing to himself about those struggles.
“This is going to be a hell of a ride for you to get back to where you’re at,” he thought then. “And now I’m here, and there’s still a lot more for me to do.”
“I just want to play football like the way I used to play football,” he added, “and just play with that love and passion and do some great things.”