Odell Beckham Jr. took another step toward getting himself ready to play in Sunday night’s season-opener against the Cowboys, as he warmed up with his Giants teammates Wednesday.
Beckham, dealing with a sprained left ankle, moved gingerly but fairly smoothly with no brace or wrap as he jogged back and forth during the warm-up and stretching period, but once the rest of the team separated for the “Protect the Duke’’ ball-security drills, Beckham headed straight for the sideline to work with trainers. Beckham, off to the side, did a series of non-impact stretching and movement exercises.
This is the first time Beckham joined his teammates on the field for any activity since hurting his ankle Aug. 21 in Cleveland after leaping to make a catch and getting hit low by cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun. Beckham was able to jog back and forth forward and backward – he did not look fully comfortable – and did not do any cutting on his ankle. He also did a series of leg kicks and was able to put his weight on his left ankle.
Given he is not moving at full speed, it is likely Beckham will not participate in practice on Thursday. The Giants have a recovery day on Friday – meaning there is no practice – and will work on the field Saturday before leaving for Dallas. So, Saturday will be a big day for Beckham, as he will need to get some work on the field engaging in actually football activities. He likely will be a game-time decision Sunday night.