Odell Beckham Jr. sits out Giants practice, won't play vs. Jets

Odell Beckham Jr. may need to visit the Hospital for Special Semantics.

The first-round pick missed Tuesday's practice after appearing to tweak his previously injured hamstring in Monday's workout and he will not play in Friday's preseason game against the Jets as planned. Yet the Giants continue to maintain that all is right with the wide receiver who has yet to complete a full practice in training camp.

"I don't think Beckham hurt himself," Tom Coughlin said Tuesday afternoon. "He evidently was sore this morning and they don't feel like it's a reinjury but they're going to continue to be cautious if that's what it takes . . . They're saying no setback. That's where we are on it."

It's hard to imagine what would constitute a setback as defined by the Giants. At any rate, practicing one day and sitting out the next while being scratched from an upcoming game does not appear to be progress under anyone's definition.

"We have progressively built up my workload," Beckham said through the team's website. "I was sore this morning, and I didn't work today because we didn't want a setback, and I don't consider this a setback. I see it as another step in getting back to full strength."

Beckham was participating in only his sixth practice of training camp on Monday when, about midway through the workout, he caught a pass down the left sideline and after turning upfield hopped into the air as if he had tweaked the leg muscle that has haunted him through his short Giants career. He spent most of the remainder of practice stretching his leg on the side and wincing while missing several periods of team reps. He did not return to practice.

Coughlin said he didn't even realize Beckham had an issue on Monday and was caught off-guard by questions about the apparent reinjury. At the time the Giants said Beckham had told general manager Jerry Reese that he was "fine" and possibly took a hit to the back of the leg.

"What contributed to it, I'm not sure," Coughlin said Tuesday.

Beckham was on the sideline Tuesday riding an exercise bike and watching the team practice.

While the Giants have ruled Beckham out only for Friday, his history with the injury casts at least some doubt over whether he'll be ready for the opener in 21/2 weeks. He originally strained the hamstring during spring practices and missed most of OTAs and all of the minicamp. He reinjured the hamstring on the first day of training camp last month. Last week he returned and was limited in four workouts but did not play in the preseason game against the Colts, focusing instead on the Jets contest for his debut. Then this reinjury development threw that schedule off course.

Coughlin remained optimistic that Beckham will be able to contribute to the offense as soon as he is healthy enough to play, but the rookie may have difficulty with some aspects of regular-season football.

"He's been in every meeting, he knows the offense and he knows the terminology," Coughlin said. "The stamina, the endurance part and all of those types of things, it's all going to have to be accomplished."