Several Buffalo Bills players alleged New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. threw punches during the matchup between the teams Sunday, calling him a "prima donna" and a "golden boy," per Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News.
"I don't know what's up with him," cornerback Stephon Gilmore said. "He acts like nobody's supposed to hit him and you're supposed to let him catch the ball. He's weird. He gets mad when you play physical with him. He's weird."
Gilmore wasn't alone.
"A guy like that, you expect him to be a stand-up guy but I guess it is a part of his game," safety Duke Williams noted. "He likes to throw cheap shots here and there and gets away with it. I guess it's his thing."
Beckham threw a punch at Williams after the safety blocked him to the ground following a Gilmore interception, though the wideout wasn't flagged on the play. In fact, it was the Bills who were flagged with regularity Sunday, as the team was penalized a whopping 17 times.
On Wednesday, Dan Graziano of ESPN reported the NFL fined Beckham $9,000 for his actions.
Beckham, 22, took the NFL by storm last season, catching 91 passes for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns in just 12 games. He also made one of the most amazing catches in NFL history against the Dallas Cowboys in prime time, which began his ascent to stardom and his eventual place on the cover of this year's Madden video game.
This season, Beckham has started solidly again, catching 24 passes for 307 yards and two touchdowns in four games.
At least publicly, the allegations of Beckham being a dirty player who takes cheap shots against his opponent haven't really surfaced, so it will be interesting to see if more players offer complaints about the wide receiver and if league officials will be instructed to keep a closer eye on the player after the whistle.
Beckham has indeed been one of the league's "golden boys" after his excellent rookie season, but if the Bills' allegations are true, it would certainly sully that reputation.
