Odell Beckham Jr. Accused Of Quitting On Plays ‘For Years,’ By NFL Coach

Odell Beckham Jr. might be considered one of the best receivers in the NFL by most, but one anonymous NFL coach recently claimed he’s been watching the star player quit on plays, “for years.” Adam Wells of Bleacher Report wrote on Friday that the coach talked to ESPN‘s Jeremy Fowler about the issue.

This isn’t the first time Beckham has been accused of quitting on plays over the course of his career. He joined the Cleveland Browns at the start of the 2019 season and along with him came expectations of a playoff season for his new team.

Wells pointed out that things went south quickly and the Browns were never really contenders once the season kicked off. They lost six of their first eight games en route to a 6-10 finish.

Beckham’s first season with the Browns was reportedly disappointing on a personal level as well. He posted career lows in receiving yards (1,035) and touchdown catches (four) for seasons where he played at least 12 games.

Wells reported that the receiver told reporters in October of 2019 that he often felt frustrated by his lack of involvement in the gameplan. He said this was especially the case when the team was losing. Browns officials rebutted the claim that he wasn’t involved in the game plan.

Whether it was the play calling or Beckham’s efforts, he had five games last season where he notched three or fewer catches. The receiver posted just three games with less than three receptions over the previous five years with the New York Giants.

Claims that Beckham was quitting on plays and quitting on the Browns as the season went along hit a fever pitch in December. NJ.com reported the receiver was telling opposing players he wanted them to convince their respective teams to “come get him” and trade for him so he could leave Cleveland.

While some around the NFL thought his struggles were due to quitting on plays and quitting on the team, Wells said he thinks injuries could have played a part in Beckham’s struggles. While he started 15 games in 2019 and appeared in all 16, he had surgery soon after the Browns’ season was over to repair hip and groin injuries. Those injuries reportedly hampered him all season.

Beckham posted career-low numbers in several categories during 2019, but his stats were heading in that direction for a couple of seasons. Last year, he had 74 catches to go along with the 1,035 yards and four touchdowns. In 2018, he had just 77 catches for 1,052 yards and six touchdowns.

Beckham played in just four games in 2016, but from 2013-2015 the receiver posted three straight seasons of at least 90 catches and 1,300 yards per year.