New York Giants: Production Dictates Odell Beckham-Eli Manning Bond

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning spoke out about his thoughts on star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. How will this relationship develop over time?

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning doesn’t often make headlines with his comments during postgame or radio interviews. However, if one particular player can force the soft-spoken signal-caller to speak candidly, it’s wideout Odell Beckham Jr.

In an interview with WFAN’s Mike Francesca (h/t CBS New York), Manning surprisingly came clean about his thoughts on wide receiver Beckham’s antics:

"He made plays and so it’s one of those deals where you can get real sick of it if he’s not going out there and making plays,’’ Manning said, “but when he goes out and has a couple of huge catches and 200 yards and a game-winning touchdown, you still want him to be smarter, but you accept it a little easier."

In translation, Manning views Beckham as a thorn in his side when he’s not scoring touchdowns or burning defensive backs on slant routes. The Giants quarterback probably couldn’t stomach his talented wideout after he logged a career-low in receiving yards (23) against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4. Though, he slept much better after Beckham’s 222-yard performance last Sunday.

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It’s a fair assessment for an experienced quarterback, who does a great job at talking to the media and not saying much on a regular basis. If Beckham’s penalty for taking off his helmet cost the Giants a victory, Manning might have blown a gasket during the postgame press conference.

The Giants’ veteran signal-caller has dropped hints throughout the season when asked about Beckham’s behavior. He’s also consistent with his indirect message to the 23-year-old wideout. It’s about playing smart without playing the victim. After a 24-10 loss to the Vikings, Manning clearly said Beckham brought all the negative attention on himself, per the team’s official website.

It’s likely Manning told Beckham how he feels face to face. Now, he’s now on the airwaves depicting his teammate as a distraction during rough times.

However, the Giants quarterback understands the uniquely talented receiver also elevates his passing statistics. Manning logged career-highs in completions (387) and touchdown passes (35) over the past two years with Beckham in the huddle.

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The two-time Super Bowl signal-caller must be careful about what he says to media outlets. We know Beckham can be sensitive. It’s likely reporters will ask him what he thinks about his quarterback’s comments.

It’s best the Giants keep their thoughts about Beckham in-house. There’s no need to add more sound bites and commentary, which may cause a rift between a quarterback and his best receiver.

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