The possibility of an Odell Beckham Jr return to the New York Giants may have inched a bit closer Monday night when Beckham was spotted talking to Giants head coach John Harbaugh at the NFL owner’s meetings.
Harbaugh on Monday refused to rule out the idea of giving Beckham a chance to make a comeback.
“You look at every option, right? If Odell is an option then we’ll be looking at it,” Harbaugh said. “He and I do talk and we do text, and we’ve maintained a really great relationship. He’s one of my very favorite people in the world.
“We’ll have to see where it all goes. What’s best for him, what’s best for the Giants. That’s the number one thing, what’s best for our team.”
Beckham, who turns 34 in November, lives in Phoenix. He would likely need to go through a workout before the Giants would consider adding him to their 90-man roster.
The Giants need to say no to Odell
I know there are Giants fans hoping to see Beckham return and finish his career as a Giant. From my perspective, I don’t see how the juice would end up being worth the squeeze.
Beckham is not the superstar wide receiver Giants fans remember. He isn’t the guy who had three straight seasons of more than 1,300 receiving yards to begin his career.
Not close.
Beckham is a soon-to-be 34-year-old receiver who has not had a 1,000-yard receiving season since getting 1,025 yards for the Cleveland Browns in 2019. That is seven years ago.
Beckham has suffered a myriad of difficult injuries, including a fractured ankle and two torn ACLs. He has had two modestly productive seasons in the last six years, getting 537 receiving yards for the Browns and Los Angeles Rams in 2021 and 565 receiving yards for Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens in 2023.
He did not play in 2022 or in 2025 due perhaps to injuries, but also to lack of interest from NFL teams.
The last time Beckham did play he caugh nine passes for 55 yards (6.1 yards per catch) for the Miami Dolphins in 2024. That’s Jalin Hyatt-level production.
Beckham generated excitement when he made a one-handed touchdown gran in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. Let’s remember, though, that he was not playing against NFL-caliber athletes and could not really be impeded by defenders. From my vantage point, the play wasn’t as impressive as some want it to be. It isn’t going to be a reason for NFL teams to give him another chance.
Occasionally, these comebacks go OK. Marshawn Lynch gained 891 yards and averaged 4.3 yards per carry for the Raiders a year after retiring from the Seahawks. Jason Witten caught 63 passes for the Dallas Cowboys a year after retiring to be a broadcadster, though his yards per catch and receptions per game were well off his career averages. Rob Gronkowski caught 100 passes over two seasons after unretiring to join Tom Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Returning heroes, though, don’t always meet expectations. Hakeem Nicks caught seven passes in six games after returning to the Giants in 2015. Brandon Jacobs played seven games for New York in 2014 before his barking knee effectively ended his career
Beckham has always been the center of attention, even if he sometimes had to manufacture that attention. Could he quietly handle being a bit player, a fourth or fifth wide receiver who is never at the center of the game plan and only occasionally sees the ball come his way?
If that is all he is, is that worth potentially taking a roster spot from a young player with upside who miight also help the Giants on special teams? Is it worth taking snaps away from Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin, or a draft pick?
Maybe it would be for a team that expected to compete for a Super Bowl berth. The 2026 Giants, as much hope as Harbaugh has brought from Baltimore with him, are not that.
In my view, the Giants should say no to Odell.
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