CLEVELAND, Ohio — In March of 2019, Odell Beckham Jr. was traded alongside defensive lineman Olivier Vernon to the Browns for a package that included safety Jabrill Peppers, offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler and Cleveland’s first- and third-round draft picks in 2019.
Giants fans did not want to see Beckham leave.
During an appearance Saturday on the UEFA Champions League final broadcast on Paramount Plus, Beckham revealed that the feeling was mutual.
“I never, ever wanted to leave the New York Giants,” Beckham Jr. said. “The reason you heard me talking about what was going on was because I was p—ed because, where I come from in college, if we lost one game, our season was over.
“This was the organization I got drafted to. They believed in me. So if the Giants went and won a Super Bowl, I would be happy. But deep down inside, I wanted to be the one. No question. So it’s definitely you’ll always hold that. But then someone like me, I went to the LA Rams, won a Super Bowl. But still, you just want that.”
From his famous one-handed catch against the Cowboys as a rookie to becoming the fastest player to reach 200 career receptions and 4,000 receiving yards, Beckham burst onto the NFL scene in remarkable fashion.
But after a knee injury, multiple fines for his on-field actions and a series of unwanted headlines and attention due to his off-field antics, the writing was on the wall for the No. 12 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
After signing a five-year, $90 million contract extension with the Giants, Beckham Jr. didn’t last seven months in New York before being traded to Cleveland.
After two full seasons in Cleveland, the three-time Pro Bowler won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.
He went from there to the Baltimore Ravens before landing with the Miami Dolphins last season. He’s currently a free agent after mutually agreeing to a release with the Dolphins back in December.