Odell Beckham Jr. Active in Week 2 vs. Lions with Ankle Injury

The New York Giants are getting a big boost on offense in Week 2 with the return of Pro Bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. against the Detroit Lions.

ESPN's Josina Anderson said she asked the receiver if he would play in Monday's contest, and he responded "what you think? Yeah."

Beckham has been nursing an ankle injury he suffered in an Aug. 21 preseason game against the Cleveland Browns. The fourth-year wideout took a hit below the knee from Browns safety Briean Boddy-Calhoun. 

The Giants opened the 2017 regular season with a 19-3 loss against the Dallas Cowboys. Beckham was inactive for that game, and the offense gained a total of 233 yards. 

He seemed to be making progress toward a return during the week and even returned to the practice field on Thursday. ESPN's Dianna Russini did note Beckham was limited at practice. 

The Giants officially listed Beckham as questionable for Week 2 on their injury report. He said upon returning to practice that doctors told him his ankle injury could take six to eight weeks to fully heal, per Paul Schwartz and Zach Braziller of the New York Post.

“Probably the best I’ve felt yet,” Beckham said. “I felt good. It felt good to just be back out there. I got [to do] individuals. I was running routes. I was feeling pretty good. We’re taking major strides in the right direction.”

Beckham's return to the offense completely changes the dynamic for Giants head coach Ben McAdoo and quarterback Eli Manning. He's had at least 1,305 yards and 10 touchdown receptions in each of his first three NFL seasons. 

Per Pro Football Focus, Beckham's 29 forced missed tackles ranked first among all wide receivers in the NFL last season.

The Giants showed in Week 1 how much they need Beckham to succeed on offense. His return will give Manning a true downfield threat the Lions have to focus on while simultaneously take attention away from Brandon Marshall and Sterling Shepard.