Giants' Justin Pugh: Odell Beckham Jr. is not a distraction
On Monday, following Odell Beckham Jr.'s sideline outburst against the Washington Redskins in a Week 3 loss, New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo publicly chastised the young superstar, calling him a "distraction."
"Emotionally on the sideline in between the series, he needs to do a better job. That's all of our responsibilities, mine included," McAdoo said. "But he needs to control his emotions better and be less of a distraction to himself and his teammates. It's our job to help him with that process."
In the aftermath of Beckham Jr.'s sideline tirade, he became the focus of hundreds of internet memes, videos and shorts — most of which focused on the kicking net incident.
Despite that, the overwhelming concern from Giants brass wasn't so much about how Beckham Jr. would handle the public scrutiny, but how he'd deal with the criticism from Ben McAdoo.
Bleacher Report's Jason Cole had the story:
"For the first time since Ben McAdoo took over as head coach of the New York Giants, he was somewhat critical of wide receiver Odell Beckham's behavior," Cole said. "Giants management now wonders if it should have been tougher on Beckham after his outburst last season against Carolina.
"The question for the team is whether at this point Beckham will respond to being chastised by the head coach."
Asked about McAdoo's comments and Beckham Jr.'s actions on Tuesday, Giants offensive lineman Justin Pugh had a different outlook on the situation. Not only was he dismissive of Beckham Jr.'s sideline outburst, but came right out and said the wide receiver is not a distraction to the team.
"No, I didn't find it distracting. But, obviously, I'm also out there playing. I'm not sitting, watching what's going on the whole time. I've got to worry about what I have to do," Pugh told reporters. "Obviously he's one of the leaders of this team. He's an emotional guy. We just have to make sure that those emotions are driven to going out there on the field and performing. I think he knows that, he knows that for sure. Obviously, he's one of the best receivers in the league and we need him out him there on the field."
The fact that Giants brass is concerned with the situation, McAdoo is addressing the situation and every member of the NFL public is focusing on the situation would lead one to believe Beckham Jr. is, in fact, causing a distraction.
But, so far, both quarterback Eli Manning and offensive lineman Justin Pugh have said Beckham Jr. is not a distraction. Of course, we'll see how long that lasts should the 2014 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year continue with his sideline tirades.
