Giants Owner John Mara: I Was 'Reluctant' to Trade Odell Beckham Jr. to Browns

New York Giants co-owner John Mara signed off on the trade to send star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns, but he wasn't necessarily happy about the move.

"I will tell you it was a reluctant approval on my part because I happen to like Odell [Beckham Jr.] very much, and I recognize the unique talent that he has," Mara said, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. "It's not easy to trade that player to another team."

The Giants received two draft picks and safety Jabrill Peppers to help kick-start the rebuild after a 5-11 season.

The move comes less than a year after signing Beckham to a five-year extension, which seemed likely to keep him on the roster for years to come.

Even when questions arose following the 2018 season, the front office denied any thoughts of a trade.

"We didn't sign Odell to trade him," general manager Dave Gettleman said in February, per Judy Battista of NFL.com.

However, Gettleman apparently pushed the trade along with head coach Pat Shurmur, per Raanan.

It made it a difficult call for co-owners Mara and Steve Tisch.

"Not an easy decision at all," Tisch said.

Still, the deal was approved and the Giants are now without a player who earned three Pro Bowl selections in his five years in the NFL. He has 390 catches for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns in just 59 career games.

The Giants will need to replace his production while trying to return to playoff contention after back-to-back disappointing seasons.