Mellowed OBJ still holds grudge over Giants exit

Odell Beckham Jr.’s locker with the Giants always overflowed with the latest trendy sneakers, but it’s the “boot” that he’s still bitter about.

The mellowed Rams star nearly escaped a 45-minute interview Monday night at Super Bowl LVI without facing a single question about his tumultuous time with the Giants. Enter fellow former Giants star Osi Umenyiora, who crashed the Zoom in his role as a reporter for the NFL UK and reminded Beckham of a long-ago conversation when Umenyiora told Beckham not to “leave” New York.

“First, I didn’t leave, I got booted,” Beckham quipped. “Second, it is a great feeling to be here at this moment.”

Umenyiora, who was inducted into the Giants Ring of Honor in 2015, and Beckham were never teammates, but their exchange had the warm tone of old buddies reconnecting. As soon as the moderator called on Umenyiora, Beckham replied, “Uh-oh.”

Since his midseason addition, Beckham has fit in as just another effective piece on a Rams team loaded with a handful of future Hall of Famers. It’s a far cry from his Giants days (2014-18) when he alternated between breathtaking plays and embarrassing onfield moments to create headlines.

“When I was younger, I definitely did things that could have helped [me] not be seen for who I truly am,” Beckham said. “But I also feel like there was a lot more just trying to create a story because it’s easier to sell drama than it is to write up good things about somebody.”

So, it’s clear that for all Beckham’s talk of a more mature version of himself, he still sees the Giants as the wrongdoer in that split. In one of his many head-scratching moves that backfired, then-general manager Dave Gettleman signed the greatest receiver in franchise history to a fiveyear, $95 million contract extension only to stunningly reverse course six months later and trade Beckham to the Browns.

Gettleman not-so-subtly declared Beckham to be a team wrecker. During Beckham’s two-plus years with the Browns — pulling some of the same tactics on Baker Mayfield as he did with Eli Manning — it was hard to argue that narrative, even though lifelong friend and former Browns teammate Jarvis Landry also dropped into Beckham’s interview with well wishes.

Those who know Beckham say he always wanted to play in Los Angeles, though he admitted he came “close” to signing with the Saints or, after a phone call from Bill Belichick, the Patriots during his November free agency. So maybe it’s not a surprise that he seems happiest playing second fiddle to Cooper Kupp.

Does he find satisfaction that the lens through which he is seen is changing?

“No. A younger me definitely would’ve, but I’ve come so far,” Beckham said. “I know who I am and I know myself. I know what I can bring, I know all of the stories. I don’t really take satisfaction because it’s not that deep for me.”