NFL officiating head: Odell Beckham Jr. should have been ejected
NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino toldNFL Total Access on Tuesday that New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. should have been ejected from Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
Beckham and Panthers cornerback Josh Norman were involved in several physical altercations during the game, culminating with a helmet-to-helmet hit initiated by Beckham in the third quarter.
“I think when you look at of the actions in their entirety it does warrant an ejection,” Blandino said. “Anytime a player is suspended for his actions, (it) would warrant an ejection. We don’t take disqualification lightly. It is a short season and the action really has to raise above and beyond the normal course and this certainly did.”
• Watch: New video shows Odell Beckham Jr., Panthers confrontation
The NFL announced Monday it would suspend Beckham for one game for his actions against the Panthers, citing “multiple violations of safety-related playing rules.” Beckham’s appeal of the suspension will be heard Wednesday.
Beckham was penalized three times for personal fouls during the game, and Norman was flagged twice for unnecessary roughness. Though Blandino did not mention Norman by name, he said that actions by Panthers players deserved ejections as well.
“It’s certainly an accumulation of instances and not just on Beckham,” Blandino said. “There was some things on the other side, too, and I think both parties were involved. The officials, if you asked them, they would agree after looking at the tape that ejections were warranted.”
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If Beckham’s suspension is upheld, he will miss Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings but could return for the season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles.
- Erin Flynn
