Odell Beckham Jr. has experienced just about every kind of spotlight an NFL player can face. His spectacular catch against the Dallas Cowboys made him a superstar, while his infamous confrontation with Josh Norman the next year showed how quickly that attention could turn negative.
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Years later, NFL legend Cris Carter has revealed another chapter involving Beckham, one that came down to a missed phone call and a misunderstanding between the former NFL star and the Hall of Famer.
Carter recalled the incident on the Fully Loaded podcast. He said a story about Beckham was about to break on ESPN, so he tried to reach the wide receiver before it went public. Beckham never answered.
The story came out, and Carter discussed it as part of his job. Beckham called him afterward and accused him of stabbing him in the back.
“OBJ called me afterwards. He asked, ‘How you stab me in the back?’ He felt betrayed. He claimed I put it out there without talking to him,” Carter wrote in the caption of the clip posted on his podcast channel. “I told him to check his phone. I had called him. The attempt was made. He just missed it.”
According to Carter, the exchange was not about him deliberately putting Beckham in a difficult position. He believed he had done what he could by trying to speak with the player before commenting publicly.
The episode also reminded Carter of another situation involving former Browns receiver Josh Gordon. Carter said he contacted Cleveland when Gordon was dealing with a substance-related suspension and offered his help. Later, after Gordon failed another test, Carter publicly said the Browns should release him.
Carter said Gordon took issue with that as well. His broader point was that his comments as a media personality did not mean he was against the players he discussed. In Beckham’s case, Carter believed the missed call created a completely different impression.
Beckham was no stranger to scrutiny during his early years in the NFL. His 2015 suspension came after several confrontations with Norman during a game against the Carolina Panthers, including a helmet-to-helmet hit that led to a one-game ban.
The incident became one of the most talked-about moments of Beckham’s early career. He later won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams.
Now, Beckham is back with the Giants, although his 2026 season has started quietly. Through three games, he has recorded just one target with no receptions or receiving yards. His involvement has been limited even after he made New York’s 53-man roster following training camp and preseason.
That makes Carter’s story an interesting reminder of how complicated Beckham’s relationship with the spotlight has been. On the field, his biggest moments once made him one of football’s biggest stars. Off it, a missed phone call was enough for him to believe someone had turned against him.
Carter’s account suggests the situation was less about betrayal than a conversation that never happened.