Gregg Williams: Browns Didn't Intend to Injure Odell Beckham Jr. on 2017 Hit

One day after being accused by the Cleveland Browns wideout, New York Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams denied directing his players to injure Odell Beckham Jr. during a 2017 preseason game.

Williams told reporters on Friday that he's "never done that anywhere I've been," per SNY:

The incident in question occurred during a 2017 preseason game between the Browns and the New York Giants. At the time, Williams was in his first year as Cleveland's defensive coordinator, and Beckham was a two-time Pro Bowler preparing to enter his fourth season in the NFL.

Beckham had to leave the exhibition after taking a low hit from Browns cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun:

His sprained ankle forced Beckham to miss the 2017 season opener. He was limited to just four games that season, as he later suffered a fractured ankle. He made it clear on Thursday, per NFL.com's Jeremy Bergman, that the fracture happened because he "came back too early" from the sprained ankle.

Beckham also revealed that players who were on the 2017 Browns team told him Williams had ordered them to injure the wideout, according to Bergman:

"It's preseason. It's like a known rule. Like in preseason, nobody in the NFL is really out to do stuff like that. I had players on this team telling me that that's what he was telling them to do—'take me out of the game'—and it's preseason. So, you just know who he is. Just that's the man...calling the plays."

Of course, it's important to note that Williams was suspended one year by the NFL in 2012 for Bountygate. The league discovered Williams had implemented a rewards system for hits that featured the intent to injury, offering bonuses for "cart-offs."

Beckham let it be known he was on high alert for potential "dirty hits," per Bergman:

"The only thing I'm buying is probably just gotta watch out for the cheap shots and the dirty hits and all of the things that he likes to teach. That's pretty much all we gotta watch out for. Other than that I expect the same two-high safety on. I don't expect much man-to-man."

Not only did Williams deny targeting Beckham two years ago, but he is refusing to buy into the hype surrounding the star receiver:

Now, all eyes will be on Beckham and Williams on Monday night when the Browns face the Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.