The NFL confirmed Monday it suspended wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. for one game for his helmet-to-helmet hit on cornerback Josh Norman during the Carolina Panthers’ 38-35 win over the New York Giants on Sunday.
After Beckham’s appeal hearing on Wednesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the ruling was upheld.
Beckham and Norman are among the best players at their respective positions, so Sunday’s matchup made for great theater. But the two engaged in several altercations before Beckham’s emotions got the better of him in the third quarter.
On a run by Shane Vereen, the Giants wideout came back to the play and launched himself at the Panthers defensive back. The play occurs at the 1:49 mark of the video below:
According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, the NFL thought Beckham’s actions—including other dust-ups with Norman—warranted an ejection.
After the game, Beckham declined to comment on his matchup with Norman, telling reporters, “It’s unfortunate we lost”:
Giants head coach Tom Coughlin acknowledged he considered removing Beckham from the game but said he kept him in to use the situation as a learning experience, per Jordan Raanan of NJ Advance Media: “He’s got to learn at some point how to deal with some things on the field. … Again, he’s a player on our team, and he made some mistakes today, but I’m hoping he will recognize that and get over it.”
With the NFL’s heightened emphasis on player safety, punishment for the Pro Bowl wideout quickly became part of the discussion after the game. The MMQB’s Peter King was among those who called for at least a one-game suspension:
Beckham’s suspension comes at a terrible time for the Giants, who are still in the playoff hunt despite their 6-8 record. New York is a game back of the Washington Redskins for the NFC East lead and tied for second place with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Beckham is the Giants’ most dynamic offensive playmaker. His 1,396 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns account for more than a third of Eli Manning’s 3,900 passing yards and 32 touchdowns. Without Beckham, New York will be much less dangerous with Rueben Randle as its No. 1 wideout.
The Giants will visit Minnesota to play the Vikings in Week 16, and a loss in that game will eliminate them from postseason contention.
