Odell Beckham Jr. is headed back to the Big Apple. The 33-year-old wide receiver agreed to a deal with the New York Giants, the team that drafted him in 2014, on Monday, the franchise confirmed.
Beckham has not played in the NFL since 2024. He was not on a roster last season as he served a six-game suspension related to performance-enhancing drugs.
The LSU product caught nine passes for 55 yards in 2024 before sitting out last year. He also spent the 2022 campaign at home without a contract.
Beckham first worked out for the Giants and new coach John Harbaugh last month. He told the New York Post that a return to the city would be poetic.
“It’s a place I never wanted to leave,” he said. “And it’s just a special place in my heart, just to see all of these Big Blue jerseys — just hoping for the best.”
Beckham, a former first-round pick, quickly established himself as one of the league’s best receivers when he joined the Giants in 2014. He recorded 390 receptions with 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns in his first four seasons.
The two-time All-Pro still ranks second in Giants history in receiving yards. But New York traded him to the Cleveland Browns before the 2019 campaign. Beckham struggled to find his dynamism as he coped with injuries while he bounced around the league.
“I think you just rely on the things you always rely on, which is my faith,” Beckham said. “And, you know, God has a place of special purpose and journey for me, and just being able to spend that time away, just made me realize some things. You know, I left some things unfinished.”
Harbaugh had previously signed Beckham when he coached the Baltimore Ravens in 2023. The three-time Pro Bowler caught 35 passes for 565 yards in Baltimore.
Beckham will likely be a depth piece for a questionable Giants receiving corps. The group is led by 2024 first-rounder Malik Nabers, who earned Pro Bowl honors as a rookie but suffered a torn ACL four games into last season. The group also features the newly signed trio of Calvin Austin, Darnell Mooney and Ryan Miller.
Receiver Gunner Olsezewski, who was expected to be a contributor for the Giants, tore his right Achilles tendon in an offseason practice last week. Olsezewski’s absence opened up a clear hole in New York’s depth chart.
Fellow receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster also joined the Giants on Monday following a workout, according to multiple reports. The 29-year-old caught 51 passes for 576 yards over the last two years with the Kansas City Chiefs.
New York signed return specialist Braxton Berrios, as well, to provide depth for the receiving room ahead of training camp.
Monday saw an array of movement as the NFL entered the next phase of its offseason. Many contracts allow the league to feature clauses that allow teams to take lessened cap hits if they make cuts or trades after May 31.
The Los Angeles Rams stole the spotlight by trading for Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett in a blockbuster move. Los Angeles sent former Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse to Cleveland along with a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a third-round selection in 2029.
Garrett, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year who set the single-season sack record last season, is another formidable addition for a Rams team that reached the NFC championship game in January.
The New England Patriots joined the frenzy later on Monday afternoon by finalizing a long-anticipated deal for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown. The swap, which sent a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round selection to the Eagles, had been rumored for months.
Wide receiver was a position of need for the Patriots, who lost to the Seattle Seahawks in last season’s Super Bowl. New England has not re-signed its leading receiver from the campaign in Maryland product Stefon Diggs. Brown recorded 78 catches for 1,003 yards during his final season in Philadelphia.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
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