Odell Beckham Jr. is apparently against drinking water

At 1-5 the New York Giants have plenty of issues, and keeping Odell Beckham Jr. hydrated has been added to the list.

As the first half closed against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was seen leaving for the locker room while the team’s offense was on the field. It was later explained away that he was dehydrated and went in early to get an IV, and not an expression of frustration for a player who has become a lightning rod for criticism.

Some former NFL players have since said that halftime IVs are common, and they surely are in many cases. But the idea a player could get dehydrated enough to have to leave the field early reeks of a lack of attention to detail on his part. Beckham is clearly one of the most talented wide receivers in the league, but he has invited questions about his judgement more than once.

The easiest and most common way to hydrate, whether you’re an athlete or not, is to drink water. Apparently Beckham doesn’t like the taste of water, and head coach Pat Shurmur said his exit last Thursday night was not even the first time this season Beckham needed to leave a game early to get an IV.

Even allowing for the idea each player is different, and obviously may dehydrate at a different rate, making sure Beckham is getting enough fluids shouldn’t be a great medical mystery.

Naturally Shurmur was asked for a reaction to Beckham’s negative sentiment regarding H2O, and he seemed to take an opportunity to offer sarcasm.

The concept of “pre-hydrating” in the days before a game shouldn’t be foreign to Beckham, and maybe that would help alleviate the issues he has had. He appeared to be making an effort to get ahead of the hydration curve in the locker room on Friday, with reporters’ eyes on him of course, which is a Beckham move if there ever was one.