Odell Beckham Jr. made concerning comments about desire to play during TNF

Odell Beckham Jr. is evidently uninterested in participating in the regular season, which sounds strange.

If Odell Beckham Jr. was trying to convince a team, such as the Dallas Cowboys, to look past his apparently not-so-auspicious physical results, talking about how he is entirely uninterested in participating in the regular season was not the way to do it.

At least he’s honest, though?

Appearing on The Shop’s TNF watch party with Maverick Carter, Cam Jordan, YG, and others, OBJ was asked about how ready he is to play. His response did not instill much confidence:

"“I haven’t made the decision [on where to sign] and for me, I would like to be in a stable environment, get up 6 am, leave at 6 pm for four weeks and then let’s talk about it. I’ve played football for a long time. I’m not saying that I couldn’t step in and play regular season but I don’t see the point. I really don’t, I’d rather play when the pressure’s on.”"

Is Odell Beckham Jr ready to play or not?

It raises some serious questions about Beckham’s readiness. Is he refuting the medical reports and saying his readiness is related to when he wants to play instead of when he can play?

Beckham gave Micah Parsons a timeline of five weeks, when the playoffs start. Was that a health timeline or a Beckham’s-desire-to-play timeline? Or is he perhaps posturing his interest in playing football to justify his medical status, which is delayed further than expected?

Either way, it’s really not a good look for Beckham, especially considering he’s been seeking a multi-year deal. If the regular season is uninteresting for him this year, why would it be of interest in the second year of the contract? And if a player doesn’t want to push during the regular season to put his team in the best position in the playoffs, are they really committed to the overall mission of the team, or just what they want?

Individualism seldom works in football, and it feels as though Beckham is prioritizing his own desires over the team. As a free agent, that’s his right and to some degree, what he needs to do.

Beckham might have gotten away last season by plugging in with the Rams late and getting off to a quick start, making good work in the playoffs en route to a Super Bowl win. That may not be replicable elsewhere. It takes time to build chemistry and a rhythm with new teammates, and the end of the regular season is a great opportunity to ensure he’s on the same page before it really counts.

Dangerous comments from Beckham, for sure. At this point, some have to be questioning whether he’ll play anywhere this season.