Odell Beckham Jr. Must be Suspended by NFL

After his discraceful play on Sunday, New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. needs to be suspended by the NFL.

Making highlight reel catches and putting up monster numbers on the regular has made New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. one of the biggest stars in the entire NFL. Beckham has exploded onto the scene the past two seasons and is arguably the most talented receiver in the entire game.

However, my opinion on Beckham changed drastically after his pathetic performance against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Beckham was productive once again, totaling six receptions for 76 yards and an important late touchdown, but his attitude was completely unacceptable.

Beckham’s match-up against Panthers’ star cornerback Josh Norman was highly publicized heading into the game. Both players are among the best in the game at their respective positions, and this was an opportunity for both to publicize their skills on a big stage. Unfortunately, they are getting a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons.

Norman and Beckham battled all afternoon, but it was the extra curricular activity that was completely uncalled for and unnecessary. Seemingly from the opening snaps, Beckham battled with Norman and other Panthers’ players after the whistle was blown. There were even a few punches thrown early in the game.

Later in the game, after another quick scuffle between the two players, Beckham flew across the field and speared Norman in the head with his helmet. I suppose you could argue that Beckham was trying to make a block right before the whistle was blown, but in my opinion, he was simply trying to inflict pain to Norman.

If it was a defensive player who lead with his head in a clear helmet-to-helmet contact like that after the whistle, they would have immediately been ejected from the game for targeting. With concussion issues on the fore-front of the NFL’s issues, safety needs to be their number one priority.

Beckham’s reckless play after the whistle put other players in serious danger. If the NFL is going to be serious about their safety problems, Beckham simply must pay for his actions on Sunday.

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Now, do not get me wrong, Norman was not innocent in all of these scenarios. He was clearly running his mouth and retaliated many times when Beckham would attack him.

That being said, Beckham looked like the clear instigator in a huge majority of these fights. I understand that football is a macho sport where tough guys are always going to prove themselves and never stand down to a challenge, but this was ridiculous. There is no room in football for ridiculous displays like this.

Beckham undoubtedly should have been kicked out of this game. His actions were completely irresponsible and indefensible. If the NFL wants any ounce of credibility, Odell Beckham Jr. needs to be suspended at least for next week’s game.

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Full disclosure: I realize that this story has nothing to do with the Patriots or any other Boston sports teams, and for that I apologize. That being said, I am a huge NFL fan and am embarrassed by the actions of Beckham. I felt strongly enough about this that I wanted to get my opinion out there.

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