Jason Leach
The New York Giants have had a busy offseason under head coach John Harbaugh, adding several key free agents.
Perhaps the area they’ve upgraded the most was adding pass catchers such as tight end Isaiah Likely, and receivers Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III to improve on their 21st-ranked passing offense last season.
But there’s another veteran pass catcher many feel the team should sign, and that’s Odell Beckham Jr. OBJ played for Big Blue from 2014-2018 and was named Offensive Rookie of the Year, voted to the Pro Bowl three times, and was named Second Team All-Pro twice.
He also played for Harbaugh in 2023 with the Baltimore Ravens, where he appeared in 14 games and had 35 receptions for 565 yards and three touchdowns. OBJ appeared in nine games for the Miami Dolphins in 2024 before they waived him in December.
He sat out the 2025 season, but 33 years old the veteran wideout expressed interest in resuming his career, and it seems only fitting that he would make his return with the team that drafted him.
Here’s why the Giants should consider a reunion with OBJ.
It would be a no-risk, high-reward situation
At this stage of his career, and haven’t played in over a year, the former LSU wideout would probably be open to signing at or near the veteran minimum to show that he still has more gas in his tank. New York could sign him to a deal similar to what they gave Evan Neal this offseason, with no guaranteed money.
They could sign him to a one-year deal, and if he performs well in training and earns a roster spot, he’ll be another viable wideout for Jaxson Dart to throw to. If he fails to impress and the wideouts perform better than him, the team can release him. No harm, no foul.
He can be a mentor to Malik Nabers
It’s well known that Malik Nabers idolized Odell Beckham Jr growing up, and he even sent an Instagram message to OBJ asking for a pair of receiver gloves.
Nabers is in the same exact spot that Beckham was a decade ago, when he was the focal point of the offense, and catching passes from a former Ole Miss quarterback. He can be a mentor to 22-year-old Nabers on how to handle the expectations on the field and the limelight off the field. Beckham can also provide guidance for how Nabers recovers from a torn ACL since Beckham suffered that injury twice in his career.
Nabers seems to relish the possibility of playing with OBJ, as when Beckham went viral during the Fanatics Flag Football Classic after making a one-handed catch for a touchdown, Nabers responded by saying, “Let’s play together.”
It’s hard to see anything negative about having two former LSU standout receivers on the field together.
He’s more reliable than other veteran receivers on the roster
Nobody expects at 33 for Beckham to resemble his All-Pro form from a decade ago. Father Time is undefeated, and he certainly doesn’t have the speed and quickness he once had.
However, the attributes that he still should possess are his reliable hands, his route running, and his ability to play on the outside and in the slot. In fact, even though he is seven years removed from his last 1,000-yard receiving season and didn’t play in 2025, a case can be made that he would be more dependable than other receivers on the roster.
One of the receivers that has proven to be less reliable is the man who is currently wearing Beckham’s old jersey number, and that’s Jalin Hyatt. The Giants traded up to take Hyatt with the 73rd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and his time with Big Blue has been a massive disappointment.
In his three seasons, he’s appeared in 41 games, has 36 receptions for 470 yards with zero touchdowns. This is less production than the one-year OBJ spent with the Ravens in 2023. Despite Hyatt being nine years younger, there’s no way anyone could feel confident that he would be more productive than the 33-year -old wideout in 2026.
So as you see, the Giants having a reunion with their 2014 first-round pick makes sense. The only slight drawback is that they may need to keep an additional wideout on the roster since Beckham won’t contribute to special teams. But outside of that, this would be a no-risk, high-reward situation for Big Blue.
Related: Former New York Giants All-Pro Defender Wants to Play for John Harbaugh
