>
The Dallas Cowboys are still looking to sign Odell Beckham Jr, despite the NFL free agent being kicked off a plane over Thanksgiving weekend and labeled “aggressive and rude” after apparently going in and out of consciousness.
Flight attendants called a medical emergency after fearing Beckham Jr, 30, was seriously ill, according to a police statement following the Miami incident.
According to his lawyer, Beckham did not deserve to be kicked off the flight, but was the victim of an “overzealous flight attendant.”
Anyway, the Cowboys don’t seem concerned. Beckham is recovering from an ACL tear he suffered while playing the Super Bowl for the LA Rams in February and a number of teams are looking to sign him.
“I really wasn’t involved in the conversation,” said Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, when asked about the latest Beckham situation.
“But I personally know based on my understanding, I think we’re going full steam ahead.”
Police were called on Sunday by concerned flight attendants after Odell Beckham Jr was reportedly ‘conscious’
He was filmed being escorted off the plane by passengers – many were angry because of the delayed flight on the busiest weekend of the year
Despite the incident, Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy says the team is still in the process of signing the 30-year-old as he recovers from a cruciate ligament injury.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has also underlined that the team’s interest is high.
“No, it didn’t (changed our mind). His overall team compatibility, his judgment and his behavior are no problem for him,” Jones said on Audacy’s 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “It is with many, but not with him.”
“(He is) really, really real. Very competitive, feels confident, feels good about himself. I think he exudes confidence, yet is very, very just compatible. We think he would be a very good fit for us.
“We have to let him play this year. It’s very important – the things we do to influence him this year. So this year should be a big part of it. We need to have a situation where we can really contribute now.’
Besides the Cowboys, the New York Giants are strongly connected.
Beckham took to Twitter on Monday to further dismiss suggestions of misconduct following the Miami incident.
He replied to a Twitter user who was on the same plane calling him “unruly and responsive” in a video of him walking off the plane with, “This looks unruly and responsive.
“I didn’t know (sic) I couldn’t fall asleep before I left when I boarded the plane first and the flight was delayed 30 minutes.
“I also had a flight to catch when I landed in LA. Simple shxt. I feel asleep before I leave.’
He continued, “And they were zero sleeping pills/drugs. None of that nonsense. I will not allow my name to be tarnished or disrespected. I had a long night in Miami. I was exhausted. And went to sleep.’
He told another Twitter user, “How do I remember everything about the incident? I also hate that I even have to talk about this shxt when the big deal wasn’t made by me.”
Beckham injured his knee in the Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals in February – his LA team won 23-20, but he hasn’t played in the NFL since
The receiver has been linked with a number of teams after leaving the Rams this year
Beckham’s lawyer’s full statement on Sunday said: ‘Earlier today, Odell Beckham Jr boarded a morning flight in Miami without any problems.
“The flight was delayed after boarding and before takeoff. Mr. Beckham fell asleep with his blanket over his head, which is his habit on long flights. He was awake[ed] and told that the plane was back at the gate and he had to get off the plane because he hadn’t put on his seatbelt when asked.
He replied that he was asleep and that he would put on his seatbelt at that time. He was told it was too late and either he would have to get off the plane or everyone would have to get off the plane.
The overzealous flight attendant insisted on getting everyone off the plane instead of just allowing Mr. Beckham to fasten his seatbelt and continue the flight.
Beckham Jr played with the New York Giants and has been linked with a return to the team
Beckham, pictured last week during the NBA game between the Washington Wizards and the Miami Heat, is expected to soon sign for a new team for the rest of the season
‘Mr Beckham was not disruptive or belligerent at any point. He was willing to comply with the seatbelt requirement, but the flight attendant wanted to prove he had the authority to have Mr. Beckham removed from the flight.
“The airline sent Mr. Beckham’s luggage to Los Angeles without him.”
Davidier went on to say that the “incident was unnecessary.”
“Sleeping on a plane should not be a reason to be removed from a flight,” he said. “If they could have woken him up when the flight returned to the gate, they could have done the same by asking him to put on his seatbelt.”