Seeing Malik Nabers crumple to the turf at MetLife Stadium made sure Odell Beckham Jr. couldn’t contain his frustrations with the NFL and the New York Giants any longer.
The former Offensive Rookie of the Year who once called MetLife home, took to social media after Nabers was lost with a suspected torn ACL during the Giants’ 21-18 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4.
Beckham posted, “Dear @NFL, I mean this with the upmost love and respect. We (The NFL) take all The precautions in the world with EVERYthing else when it comes to players “health” and “safety”. PLZ. PLZ. PLZ. GET RID OF THE TURF. Thank You in advance. LUV.”
The ex-wide receiver who spent the most prolific seasons of his career with Big Blue, before tearing his left ACL twice in different uniforms, then followed up with, “Respect and u kno I loveeeee the giants , but DeathLife has taken too many talented players away from the game. I kno it’s not ALL the turfs fault but at least maybe it to where we’ve gotten all research done to if TURF has to stay it’s at the HIGHEST of quality possible. At least can we start the discussion.”
Those are strong words, but few are as intimately connected with this subject as Beckham.
Odell Beckham Jr. Knows the Problem
Not many receivers past or present are as well acquainted with the MetLife turf as OBJ. He made some of his best plays on the surface, including this special one-handed catch against the Dallas Cowboys in 2014 that made the then rookie an instant national star.
Yet, for all the plays like this, “MetLife Stadium’s turf has been the subject of widespread ridicule for years amid several notable injuries to marquee players, with San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan speaking out about it in 2020 after defensive linemen Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas each suffered a torn ACL in the same game at the venue,” according to USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz.
A new synthetic surface was installed in 2023 and “designed to deliver a lower incidence of total injuries compared to various infill weights,” per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, but Beckham remains unconvinced after the surface couldn’t protect Nabers.
Beckham also has sympathy for his fellow LSU graduate because both landed with the Giants under pressure to be game-changing receivers. OBJ set the template for Nabers to follow, and the respect between the two hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Nabers arguably took his game a level above Beckham after being selected sixth overall in the 2024 NFL draft. He surpassed Beckham to set the Giants single-season record for receptions by a rookie.
Beckham isn’t necessarily surprised by Nabers’ success. At least based on his explanation for the 22-year-old’s injury setback.
As OBJ put it when asked by an ‘X’ user, “Specifically ….. and I LOVE NY. But it’s just not efficient enough and this next generation is just moving different.”
Nabers “moving different” has contributed to his impact since entering the pros. Impact the Giants will struggle to replace.
Giants Don’t Have Another Malik Nabers
Beckham’s message to Nabers, “My heart hurts for ya 1!!!!,” could also sum up the pain experienced by the Giants at losing their lone marquee playmaker on offense.
They simply don’t have another Nabers, even though there’s some talent at wide receiver. Veteran Darius Slayton can stretch the field, while fourth-year pro Wan’Dale Robinson has been progressing his game from simply being a slot target.
Yet, neither Robinson nor Slayton can strike fear into defenses the way Nabers does. He’s demanded special attention, at least from teams prepared to keep safeties deep.
That meant the Giants were running against lighter boxes and seeing less blitz pressure when Nabers was on the field. Those things were helpful to rookie running back Cam Skattebo and 2025 NFL draft first-round pick Jaxson Dart, who survived his own injury scares to beat the Chargers in his first start at quarterback.
Now, Dart can expect to take extra punishment from defenses ready to play more aggressively without having to account for Nabers. The full extent of the latter’s injury is not yet known, but it will keep the conversation going about the safety of the Giants’ home playing surface.
Beckham has made his stance clear, and the former Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins wideout might even start hearing some more chatter about a comeback to his first NFL team.
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