The NFL may be about to take a hit that rattles the league more than the strike J.J. Wilcox placed on Odell Beckham Jr. in the Cowboys 27-26 victory over the Giants during their "Sunday Night Football" matchup.
Beckham remained in the Week 1 game after Wilcox leveled him with a huge hit with 2:22 left in the first quarter. The Giants receiver caught a ball over the middle and was laid out by the Cowboys safety, causing him to lose control of the ball. Beckham looked shaken up after the hit and stumbled over to New York's bench.
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The 2014 Offensive Rookie of the Year tried to wave off Giants doctors and trainers, but they tended to him following the scary play and attempted to make him undergo the NFL's mandatory concussion protocol. Beckham was cleared to play soon after and remained in the game.
Part of the reason he didn't miss any time was due to the play being under review for a possible fumble after the ball came loose due to the impact of Wilcox's hit. Beckham didn't even go to the locker room to be looked at further, but it was evident that the hit affected him the rest of the game.
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The receiver had just five catches for 44 yards in the game, failing to surpass Michael Irvin for the most consecutive games with at least 90 receiving yards. The duo entered tied with nine straight contests of reaching that milestone, but Beckham couldn't surpass it to begin his sophomore season.
Beckham exploded onto the scene last year after missing the first four games and ended up being a thorn in the Cowboys side, scoring four touchdowns against Dallas in two meetings and making an unbelievable one-handed grab late last season at MetLife Stadium. Beckham had 12 touchdowns in 12 games overall in 2014, finishing with 91 catches for 1,305 yards.
The outburst led to teams taking notice this year and it may be hard for Beckham to replicate that success, especially on Sunday with Victor Cruz (calf) sidelined.
"They did a good job getting some pressure, keeping everything in front of them," Eli Manning told the New York Post. "They weren't letting us get down the field much."
Beckham didn't talk to the media after the game and it's unknown if he had a serious ailment or not, but the NFL could have a problem on its hands if the flashy receiver is the next victim of the ongoing concussion controversy.
It will be interesting to see Beckham's availability for the Giant's home-opener against the Falcons next Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
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