NFL free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was removed from a flight on Sunday, and the original reports of OBJ being combative are incorrect, according to his lawyer Daniel Davilier. With Beckham set to begin his visits this week to interested NFL teams, will this hurt his chances of signing a deal ahead of the playoffs?
Why Was Odell Beckham Jr. Kicked Off Miami Flight?
According to Davilier, OBJ was on a flight departing Miami that was delayed in taking off, his client took a nap and when he was awakened was told he had to get off the plane.
“He was awakened and told that the plane was back at the gate and that he needed to get off the plane because he did not put his seatbelt on when asked,” Davillier said in the statement. “The overzealous flight attendant refused to simply allow Mr. Beckham to fasten his seatbelt and proceed with the flight and instead immediately removed everyone from the plane. At no time was Mr. Beckham disruptive or combative.”
A statement from Daniel Davilier — Odell Beckham Jr’s Attorney: pic.twitter.com/2ofpyHGJ5A
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 27, 2022
It’s not uncommon for a passenger to fall asleep on a flight while the plane has yet to take off. How long was the flight delayed? OBJ could’ve been pretty deep in his sleep. How hard did the flight attendant try to awaken him?
Why Wouldn’t Flight Attendant Just Allow OBJ to Fasten Seatbelt?
The whole story seems weird. If OBJ was willing to put his seatbelt on when he awoke, why not just keep everything moving? Why have everyone deplane? The last thing anyone wants to do on a flight that’s already delayed is deplane. Can’t imagine OBJ would’ve wanted that.
Last season in the playoffs for the Los Angeles Rams OBJ had 21 catches for 288 yards and two touchdowns. He was on his way to a big game in the Super Bowl. He had two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown before suffering a non-contact ACL tear.
The Dallas Cowboys are very interested in signing the wide receiver. Quarterback Dak Prescott and owner Jerry Jones have said as much.
“He knows how much I want him here, and a lot of these guys in this locker room I’ve seen have reached out on their own in different ways to making sure that he understands that this is a team that he can help,” Prescott said. “And we want him to come help.”
The Cowboys are 15th in offensive DVOA, third in rush DVOA but only 17th in pass DVOA. Prescott could use an additional weapon. With Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott the running game is set.
But CeeDee Lamb is the only real threat on the outside. A possible OBJ addition would be huge and help open up even more underneath.
Does Airport Incident Hurt OBJ’s Chances To Sign With A Team?
In any event the free agent wide receiver is scheduled to visit with teams. Often viewed by media members as a distraction or diva wide receiver, this incident shouldn’t impact his ability to sign with a team.
If OBJ is healthy, and that’s mainly what these teams want to know, they’ll want to sign him.
Unless the airline can prove OBJ was being combative or somehow inhibiting the flight crew from doing their job, this is a non-issue. Expect momentum for an OBJ signing to pick up this week.
