Andrew Buller-Russ
From A.J. Brown and Myles Garrett getting traded, Monday featured a flurry of activity around the NFL. But it wasn’t just players getting traded. The New York Giants made some headlines too. After all, bringing back a franchise icon like Odell Beckham Jr. is sure to make waves.
The Giants also added former Pro Bowl receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and former All-Pro return specialist Braxton Berrios, but Beckham is the one fans can’t stop talking about.
While signing Beckham to a contract put an end to months of rumors linking the two sides to a reunion, now fans are eager to discover what the three-time Pro Bowler is capable of. Yet, not everyone is a big believer in the 33-year-old who didn’t play a single snap last season.
Shortly after the team signed OBJ, Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano cast extreme doubt on Beckham’s remaining abilities.
“That’s a lot of focus on a player who, at best, has a ceiling as the Giants’ third or fourth receiver — and that’s this summer, not this season. He’ll likely spend camp behind veteran Darnell Mooney, rookie Malachi Fields, Calvin Austin and maybe more. He might have to battle for practice reps with veterans Braxton Berrios and JuJu Smith-Schuster, the two other darts the Giants threw at the receiver position on Monday. And when Malik Nabers (torn ACL) and Darius Slayton (sports hernia) return, Beckham will be fifth or sixth on the depth chart, if not lower. He might not have a place on the roster at all.”
Ralph Vacchiano on Odell Beckham Jr.
That’s the cold, hard truth for a player who is well past his prime. Yet, this isn’t the first time Beckham has had doubters in his career. Only this time, proving them wrong will take everything he has, which still might not be good enough.
Beckham’s last season came in 2024, and he hauled in just nine passes for 55 scoreless yards. That time, he managed to make the roster in Miami. We’ll see if he has as much luck now that he’s where he always wanted to be, back in New York.
Related: 8 NFL Trades We’d Like To See After June 1
