Odell Beckham Jr. is not planning to hold out for a new contract from the New York Giants, but that does not mean the star wide receiver will be a full participant in mandatory minicamp this week.
Beckham is still working his way back from ankle surgery that ended his 2017 season, and ESPN’s Josina Anderson reports that the Giants discussed the possibility of declaring him fully cleared medically at the start of minicamp. Beckham, however, would prefer to “safely avoid team reps” for the time being.
#Giants Update on WR Odell Beckham Jr this morning with mandatory minicamp starting Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/IDl20Lti0R
— ig: josinaanderson (@JosinaAnderson) June 12, 2018
Kimberly Jones of NFL Network had a similar report:
My understanding (since April) of OBJ & #NYG: Everyone is on same page in terms of his not getting team reps this week. No need to rush. Caution was always going to be approach this spring. OBJ’s doctors & NYG medical staff have been in concert since the injury.
— Kimberly Jones (@KimJonesSports) June 12, 2018
It makes sense that Beckham wouldn’t want to rush anything with his ankle, but you have to wonder if his contract is a factor. Until he signs a new deal with more guaranteed money, Beckham may not want to risk suffering a significant injury.
A recent report indicated the Giants want to wait before giving Beckham a new contract for a couple of different reasons, but he could put pressure on them by holding out later on in the summer. As of now, OBJ has seemed content to play nice.
