Odell Beckham Jr. Lands Cover of GQ Magazine

Odell Beckham Jr. is a divisive figure in the NFL, and every action or comment is constantly evaluated by the media. Even after leaving the NFL’s biggest market (New York) and heading to Cleveland as part of a surprising trade in March, the spotlight has not shifted.

Late in July, it was revealed that Beckham would be gracing the cover of GQ as part of an in-depth dive into his personality, his journey to the NFL, and his much-publicized departure from the New York Giants. The purpose was to provide a true glimpse into the man instead of focusing only on his football career or the exploits on the sidelines.

Fortunately, Beckham is perfectly comfortable with the attention that he receives on a daily basis. He expressed his gratitude to the magazine on Twitter, writing, “Thanks to [GQ Magazine] for putting me on the cover of the August edition.”

A portion of the piece revolved around the constant questions about Beckham’s sexuality while other sections covered his football career. Is OBJ a good teammate? When did he order the custom orange Rolls-Royce? All topics were covered by GQ, sparking a wide-ranging array of responses.

If social media is to be believed, this deep-dive certainly ruffled some feathers, especially after Beckham made comments about how he was the reason why the Giants played so many games on national television.

Back in 2014, Beckham made an utterly eye-popping catch against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. As a rookie, he was stepping onto the NFL’s biggest stage but didn’t shy away from the pressure. Instead, Beckham made a one-handed reception for a touchdown while falling backward into the end zone. Since that moment, the Giants have been featured in a primetime game (Thursday night, Sunday night, Monday night) many times, including nine appearances on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

Whether or not this statement about being the reason for the primetime games was factual is irrelevant at this point. What mattered was that it was viewed as arrogant.

Of course, Beckham was well aware of how some of his comments would be taken when he agreed to the cover story. As he explained to the writer, Mark Anthony Green, he is fine with the fame. It’s the scrutiny that surprised him.

“I didn’t know that getting to that level — or being on the level, like, where a LeBron is at — that I would have to deal with certain things. People ask me what advice I would give, and I’m just like: ‘Be careful what you ask for.’ Like I said, I wouldn’t change anything for the world, but I wish the world would have more love than hate in it.”

Beckham may no longer be in New York, but this doesn’t mean that he will be avoiding attention in the coming years. He is one of the NFL’s biggest stars and will continue to be a draw. Fortunately, this tweet to GQ shows that Beckham is comfortable with the attention.