Odell Beckham Jr. Opens up About Nearly Retiring From NFL

Odell Beckham Jr. was very close to retiring from the NFL when he was still a member of the New York Giants. In a roundtable interview with Victor Cruz, Cam Newton and Todd Gurley, Beckham, who now plays for the Cleveland Browns, revealed he came close to no longer playing in the NFL after he suffered a season-ending ankle injury which led to him missing 11 games. At the time, Beckham said he lost passion for the game.

"I thought about not playing no more. Like, this is not really it for me," he said in the video. Beckham went on to say: "I said this in college, I said, 'I fear the day that they make this game a business and not what I love." Beckham then talked about his ankle injury and stated: "I thought about not playing no more ... they've ruined the game of football for me a little bit." The good news for his fans is Beckham decided to stay, and it was his supporters who helped him get back on track. Beckham revealed he was dealing with a number of issues other than the injury, saying he had a hard time dealing with the critics.

"I thought about not playing no more ... they've ruined the game of football for me a little bit." Now, Beckham feels like he had things figured it out in his second season with the Browns. Beckham said he's back to having blonde hair and he "understands the game." With Beckham being one of the top wide receivers in the NFL, the fact he now "understands the game" can't be a good thing for defensive backs in the league.

Beckham, 27, started his NFL career in 2014 when he was drafted No. 12 overall by the Giants. He made an immediate impact, catching 91 passes for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in his first season, which led to him being named Offensive Rookie of the Year. Things only got better for Beckham in 2015 when he caught 96 passes for 1,450 yards and 13 touchdowns. In 2019, Beckham was traded to the Browns after playing 12 games for the Giants in 2018. In his first season in Cleveland, Beckham recorded 74 receptions for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns.