New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall has some keen advice for the New York Giants—tread lightly when it comes to Odell Beckham Jr.
Beckham has been something of a punchline as of late for his recent tantrums on the sidelines and interviews. It caused quarterback Eli Manning to speak out on the issue and former head coach Tom Coughlin to describe the star wideout as a distraction.
Marshall has heard it all and warned the Giants about the situation during an interview with Daniel Popper of the New York Daily News:
Those guys over there need to be really careful. They don’t need to be speaking out on their teammate. They need to keep that in-house, because they can lose him. They need to rally behind him and give him the support he needs and handle that stuff in-house, whether good or bad. Because whether they like it or not, he’s the best player on that team.
Marshall has good points and didn’t hesitate to take things the other direction, too, saying question after question about Beckham could distract other players.
I think that he can channel it a bit better. But there’s a thin line, like, he has to be himself. Monday night, he was not himself. That’s not good for them. That’s not good for them — coach coming out saying, ‘Oh, this, he needs to do’ — nah, that’s the wrong way. You’re playing with fire there.
Everyone seems to have a say about the Beckham situation these days, though Marshall—a guy who had the “diva” label slapped on him early in his career before he evened out into a role model—comes across better than most.
For Beckham and the Giants, it’s probably best to digest Marshall’s warning and make it happen.
