Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has appeared in only 23 contests during the last four seasons and is no longer considered among the NFL’s elite pass catchers.
However, the 33-year-old veteran is grateful for a fresh start with the New York Giants, the team where he flourished during his initial five NFL campaigns from 2014-18.
“God has given me one more opportunity to play,” Beckham stated following Wednesday’s practice session with the Giants, just two days after the team signed him. “Whatever I do with that, is that. I’m not saying this is my only year, I’m not saying I’ve got five more for you. I’m looking at it like this is my opportunity now, and we’ll see where it goes from there.”
During his tenure with the Giants, Beckham surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in four out of five seasons and recorded 25 touchdown receptions in his initial three years. He earned Pro Bowl honors each of those seasons.
However, a serious ankle injury at the start of the 2017 campaign derailed his trajectory, and his relationship with New York deteriorated the next year. Following a trade to the Cleveland Browns, he reached 1,000 yards in 2019, marking the final time he exceeded 600 yards in a season. Subsequently, he has moved between three different franchises.
Currently, he faces no guarantees beyond an opportunity. He’s neither the team’s featured player nor considered a guaranteed starter. Yet if he can recapture his previous excellence, the Giants offer a platform to contribute meaningfully.
“It has always been about proving it to myself,” Beckham explained. “There’s always a little bit of you want to prove it to everybody else. Deep down inside to me, it was about proving to me, believing in me, believing in what God had given me and my abilities.
“I like it this way. I feel like it’s going to elevate me, it’s going to bring me up to have to earn it.”
Beckham suited up for the Baltimore Ravens in 2023 under John Harbaugh, who joined the Giants as head coach in January.
Beckham and Harbaugh engaged in conversations during the early offseason, and the Giants evaluated Beckham in April without offering a contract. Harbaugh and Beckham maintained their dialogue, and the coach recently became convinced that Beckham had achieved adequate conditioning despite missing last season.
After Beckham impressed during a group receiver evaluation on Monday, the Giants moved quickly to secure his services.
“I think the biggest thing is him being in really, really good shape,” Harbaugh commented. “We talked about this, he would tell you this. You can’t be just OK. You’re Odell Beckham. You’ve got to come out here and you have to be performing at a high level in workouts, you’ve got to be performing at a high level in practice. You got to be a guy capable that we can see would have a chance to make a difference in NFL games. You have to be that kind of player.”
This return to his roots evokes memories for Beckham, who became famous for dramatic sideline outbursts and spectacular catches during his original stint in New York.
“At the end of the day, like I said, I never wanted to leave here,” Beckham reflected. “I just wanted us to have a better team, better people, better players. I sound like a Papa John’s commercial. I just wanted to be great. I care about it that much.
“As far as regrets, I’m kind of one of those people, for better or worse, never regret anything, because at one point in time it was exactly what you wanted. I don’t hang my hat on it. I learn from it.”
Throughout his career, Beckham has accumulated 575 catches for 7,987 yards and 59 touchdowns across 119 games (97 starts) with five different teams.
