Former NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was escorted off of a plane Sunday morning by police after getting into an altercation with airplane personnel before takeoff.
The American Airlines cabin crew on the flight from Miami to Los Angeles called police and fire department for a medical emergency because Beckham appeared to be “coming in and out of consciousness” when they were asking him to fasten his seatbelt prior to departure, according to a statement from the Miami-Dade Police. They were reportedly nervous that the free agent receiver was seriously ill.
From Miami-Dade Police on Odell Beckham Jr. being removed from a flight this morning: pic.twitter.com/ieD40w4wkv
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 27, 2022
The statement by Miami-Dade Police suggests that his reluctancy to not buckle up caused him to be asked to exit the aircraft. Police also stated that Beckham refused to leave the plane until officers arrived to the terminal.
Odell Beckham Jr. was kicked off a plane in Miami.
The LA bound flight was delayed after Beckham refused to leave making everybody get off the plane.
Flight crew said that he was in and out of consciousness and refused to put on his seat belt.
pic.twitter.com/G3p08NklqR— OutKick (@Outkick) November 27, 2022
After the incident occurred, Beckham’s attorney, Daniel Davilier, released a statement on behalf of the Super Bowl champion.
“Mr. Beckham fell asleep with his blanket over his head, which is his normal practice for long flights. He was awaken 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. He responded that he was asleep, and that he would put his seatbelt on at that time,” Davilier said. “He was informed that it was too late, and that either he would have to get off the plane or everyone would have to deplane.”
Davilier called the incident “unnecessary” and added that “sleeping on a plane should not be a cause for removal from a flight.”
A statement from Daniel Davilier — Odell Beckham Jr’s Attorney: pic.twitter.com/2ofpyHGJ5A
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 27, 2022
Beckham took to Twitter afterwards and seemed to acknowledge what happened.
“I COULD NEVER MAKE THIS UP,” he wrote.
I COULD NEVER MAKE THIS UP.
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) November 27, 2022
“I’ve seen it alll,” Beckham added in a separate post.
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Beckham was supposed to begin visiting with teams — such as the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Buffalo Bills, according to National Insider for the NFL Network, Ian Rapoport — in the upcoming days to potentially land a contract. This might be a bad look for Beckham during a time when he’s trying to sell his worth.
To many, it might be reminiscent of times throughout his career when he’s done stupid stuff.
Beckham partied on a boat in Miami the week of a playoff game and then played horribly, has made a fool of himself on sidelines of games countless times, and was suspended for playing dirty. Beckham is super talented but he is at the center of scandal a lot and it could be the reason why a team or two shy away from him in his pursuit to get signed.
Before OBJ was injured in the Super Bowl in 2022, he seemed to be playing extremely well. Not only did Beckham score a touchdown in Super Bowl 56 but he also had over 100 receiving yards in the NFC Championship game. He proved that he still has elite skills as a wide receiver the last time he played and it is why I’m confident that eventually some team will sign him to a deal before the season ends.
The NFL values talent more than anything else and luckily Beckham has a lot of it.