Odell Beckham Jr. (black jacket) Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Francesa: Giants better off without Odell Beckham Jr.

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 1/13/23

Sports radio legend Mike Francesa believes the New York Giants won't miss wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. when they play at the Minnesota Vikings in Sunday's wild-card postseason game.

"And the Giants are so much better off that they don’t have him," Francesa said during the latest edition of his BetRivers podcast about Beckham, as shared by Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post. "Thank the good Lord that they’re going into this playoff game without him, because they would’ve been disappointed, because he’s a selfish kid who just hasn’t found his way."

Francesa offered his take following the latest update regarding an incident that involved Beckham being removed from a plane in late November. Police video released earlier this week and posted by TMZ Sports shows that Beckham sounded unbothered over the fact other passengers had to exit the plane because of his actions. He then bragged he would take "a private plane home," and he mocked at least one individual.

Beckham took to Twitter on Thursday to defend himself and suggested he was a victim of verbal abuse from at least one passenger:

Everything. But the n word. Stupid ignorant blasé blasé !! Wellllll now I got sum to say … and I just was rudely woken up from a goood ass sleep. Now kahmirrr
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) January 12, 2023

Beckham earned three Pro Bowl appearances during his Giants tenure which ran from 2014 through the 2018 season but hasn't played since he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Super Bowl LVI last February. The 30-year-old completed visits with the Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Buffalo Bills during the fall but remains a free agent heading into the postseason portion of the calendar.

Meanwhile, New York spent the entire campaign without a true No. 1 wide receiver on its roster and seemingly could use help at the position this Sunday at Minnesota's U.S. Bank Stadium.

"And people enabled him," Francesa added about Beckham. "Instead of somebody putting him on the right path at the right time, coming across the right coach or the right person to put him in the right place. There were coaches who would’ve done it and salvaged that great career. Instead, that career will never be what it was supposed to be. It never stops. So was I surprised by what I saw? No. I was disgusted by it, but I was not surprised."

Francesa also blasted Beckham for being "a spoiled child" over his refusal to work out during meetings with clubs held ahead of Christmas. It's unclear if that decision coupled with the latest footage from what's become an ugly plane incident will cause teams to think twice about giving OBJ a shot this offseason.

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