NFL Reportedly Finds No Evidence Panthers Directed Slurs at Odell Beckham Jr.

A day after Odell Beckham Jr.'s one-game suspension was upheld following a speedy appeals process, the Washington Post's Mark Maske reported Thursday the NFL found no evidence regarding allegations that homophobic slurs were directed toward the New York Giants wide receiver prior to Week 15's game against the Carolina Panthers.          

Citing a source who requested anonymity, Maske reported no Panthers players will face discipline because of the absence of concrete evidence to support the allegations.

Although Beckham was reportedly involved in a verbal pregame altercation with Panthers practice-squad player Marcus Ball, according to the New York Daily News' Ebenezer Samuel, Giants kicker Josh Brown told reporters he didn't hear homophobic slurs in the run-up to the game, a claim punter Brad Wing reportedly corroborated. 

"I wasn’t close enough to hear any of that stuff, because even when I came over, the ref came over, so there wasn’t any slang terms used," Brown said, per Samuel. 

However, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver and current NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin told the New York Daily News' Gary Myers that Beckham has been subjected to homophobic slurs throughout the season based on conversations the two have had. 

"

He deals with it a lot. For some reason, everybody goes after him with gay slurs. He’s a different kind of dude. He has the hairdo out, he’s not the big muscular kind of dude. The ladies all love him. He’s a star. I wonder why people are going in that direction. It blows my mind. I told him he can’t let stuff that people say get to you.

"

Regardless of what was said last Sunday, the incident cast Beckham, Ball and cornerback Josh Norman in a bad light. Repeated on-field scuffles didn't reflect positively on Beckham or Norman, and allegations of Ball threatening Beckham while holding a baseball bat during warm-ups didn't help matters. 

But with Maske's report seemingly representing a positive development in the week-long saga, perhaps both sides can put the Week 15 controversy behind them with the playoffs approaching.