CRIS CARTER RECOUNTS MISSED CALL DISPUTE WITH ODELL BECKHAM JR

Cris Carter has described a disagreement with Odell Beckham Jr that arose after a story about the wide receiver broke on ESPN. Speaking on the Fully Loaded podcast, Carter said he tried to reach Beckham before the story was published but received no answer. After the report came out, Carter discussed it publicly as part of his work. Beckham later called Carter and accused him of betraying him by commenting without speaking to him first.

Carter said he told Beckham to check his phone records, insisting he had called before the story broke and that the attempt had simply been missed. He said the exchange stemmed from a misunderstanding rather than any deliberate attempt to put Beckham in a difficult position. Carter drew a comparison with a separate case involving former Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon, saying he had contacted the Browns to offer support during a suspension linked to substance use, but later said publicly that the team should release Gordon after a further failed test. Carter said Gordon also took issue with those comments. He said his broader point was that his role as a media commentator did not mean he opposed the players he discussed.

Beckham faced scrutiny earlier in his career following a 2015 game against the Carolina Panthers, when repeated confrontations with Josh Norman, including a helmet-to-helmet hit, led to a one-game suspension. He went on to win a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams. Beckham is now with the New York Giants, with reports indicating his 2026 season has started quietly. Carter did not indicate any further comment from Beckham on the matter.