Odell Beckham Jr is a great example of why COVID-19 pandemic is so difficult to navigate
By Zach Ragan
Former LSU football wide receiver Odell Beckham has been absent from practice this week.
Former LSU football wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr was sent home from Cleveland Browns practice on Thursday due to an unspecified illness.
In any other year, this would barely be a news headline. Sure, there would be plenty of fantasy football players panicking over whether or not Beckham is going to suit up on Sunday, but otherwise most folks would see the injury designation “illness” and assume he’d be good to in a couple of days.
It’s something we’ve seen for years. Athletes get sick sometimes. Sometimes they miss practice, but most of the time they find a way to power through and play.
2020, of course, isn’t a normal year.
COVID-19 has changed everything. And OBJ is learning it the hard way this week.
Odell Beckham Jr tested negative for COVID-19
Beckham tested negative for COVID-19 this week, but he’s still being held out of practice out of an “abudance of caution”.
There’s no word on whether or not he will play on Sunday when the Browns take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
What Beckham is experiencing this week is the same as many folks around the world.
Cold weather is upon us. And people get sick this time of year. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, things are a bit different this year. A negative test with symptoms doesn’t always mean negative. The last thing anyone wants to happen is OBJ return to the field only to test positive later for COVID-19.
It’s a tough spot for all of us to be in. But it’s something we’re all going through together — even NFL players.
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Keeping OBJ home until he’s not ill anymore might not be what’s best for the Browns’ win/loss record, but it’s what’s best for the team and the rest of the NFL.