Despite a 10-year career that features numerous awards, one particular distinction follows Odell Beckham, Jr. In a vacuum, criticism can meet its end via performance. However, that does not appear foolproof, as critique follows athletes through every phase of life.
Living in the “What have you done lately?” cycle, critics will harken back to a watershed moment in a player’s career to judge them since that moment. Most NFL players lack the good fortune to enjoy a defining moment, frozen in time and applauded for an eternity.
While Beckham can look at his signature catch, he endures the slings and arrows of those that compare his entire career to it.
Odell Beckham Jr.’s Highlight Catch Garners Chiding When Compared to His Career
Without a doubt, everyone remembers that Sunday Night Football game against Dallas during Week 12 of the 2014 season. While falling backwards, Beckham threw out his hand in a catch attempt. The ball, secured by only a couple of fingers, stuck to his hand. The official threw a flag for defensive pass interference that the New York Giants declined.
The touchdown stood, and a star was born. Beckham catapulted into the limelight. However, 11 years later, a critique that encapsulates his entire career follows the three-time All-Pro. In an interview with tennis legend John McEnroe, Beckham bristled at what he felt like was unfair criticism of his career. This Dov Kleiman tweet tells the story.
Heartbreaking: Odell Beckham Jr. speaks about how people say he only ever had one lucky catch:
“The one lucky catch that they say is my [whole] career. I’m only one catch… that’s what they say.”
People seem to forget just how good Prime OBJ was. pic.twitter.com/XW91vpizPa
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 28, 2025
“The one lucky catch that they say is my [whole] career. I’m only one catch… that’s what they say. It’s funny because that was like the ninth touchdown of the year.”
To clear a few things up, that catch accounted for Beckham’s fifth touchdown grab of that season. While he did finish the season with 12, that 43-yard score remains one of the best catches in league history.
Beckham, at this point, has played for five teams over a decade, winning a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams. That touchdown ranks as just one of 59 catches on which he crossed the goal line. On top of that, he currently sits at 575 catches and 7,989 receiving yards.
“The Catch” (Odell Beckham Jr.)
The greatest catch of all time, OBJ inspired a whole generation of superhuman WRs
Guys have been trying one-handed catches in practice ever since pic.twitter.com/1DWY2VCRUG
— Frank Michael Smith (@frankmikesmith) November 4, 2024
Should the one-time first-round pick see his entire NFL existence whittled down to a single play in a losing effort in just his eighth professional game? People forget that Beckham missed the first four games of 2014 with a hamstring injury.
As a result, he needed to play catch-up for the rest of that season. Additionally, his five 1,000-yard seasons should quiet the doubters.
While some of the issues fall directly on the wideout, like his animus towards management, other instances stood far beyond his control. For instance, Beckham suffered two anterior cruciate ligament tears that seemed to rob him of explosiveness.
At 32 years old, the wide receiver’s best days look far behind him. At the same time, if he never plays again, Beckham’s career extends far beyond just one catch.