The New York Giants are releasing wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., ending a brief and largely quiet second chapter with the franchise that drafted him in 2014. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport first reported the move, which multiple insiders describe as a mutual decision between the team and the veteran receiver.
A Short-Lived Return
Beckham signed a one-year, $1.3 million deal with the Giants in June after a workout in East Rutherford, marking his return to the organization eight years after New York traded him to the Cleveland Browns. He earned a spot on the 53-man roster following a strong preseason, catching seven passes for 76 yards.
The regular season told a different story. Through three games, Beckham logged just 20 offensive snaps and finished with zero catches on a single target — which came Sunday during the Giants’ 12-7 win over the Tennessee Titans. His week-by-week usage tells the story clearly:
- Week 1: 11 snaps, zero targets
- Week 2: 3 snaps, zero targets
- Week 3: 6 snaps, one target, no catches
Beckham was considered a roster bubble candidate when the Giants trimmed their squad from 90 players to 53, and while he made the cut, his role never expanded once the games began.
Why the Giants Made the Move
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, who reported the decision was mutual: “OBJ has not been featured much despite earning a spot on the team, and the sides decided a mutual parting was best for everyone. This gives him an opportunity to catch on with a team in a better situation, where his talents can be better utilized.”
With the Giants leaning toward a more run-heavy offensive approach following injuries at quarterback, and with receivers Malik Nabers, rookie Malachi Fields, and Darnell Mooney all ahead of him in the pecking order, roster space became a priority. Beckham, 33, doesn’t play special teams, which further limited his path to a larger role.
There’s also a practical angle to the timing: releasing Beckham now, rather than simply keeping him on the roster, gives other teams a chance to offer something in return for his rights before he reverts to a free agent. Beckham’s contract pays the league minimum, so even a conditional late-round draft pick from a team needing receiver depth — the Rams and 49ers have both been mentioned as possibilities — would represent value the Giants wouldn’t otherwise recoup.
The Bigger Picture
Beckham’s career has taken him through several stops since the Giants drafted him 12th overall in 2014. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year that season and went on to record 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns across five seasons in New York before being traded to Cleveland. His journey since has included stints with the Los Angeles Rams — with whom he won Super Bowl LVI — the Baltimore Ravens in 2023, and the Miami Dolphins in 2024, where he caught nine passes for 55 yards before an injury-limited season ended in a mutual parting that December.
Beckham sat out the entire 2025 season following a six-game PED suspension before signing with the Giants this past June in hopes of reviving his career.
What’s Next
Absent a trade, Beckham will once again enter free agency, looking for a new opportunity to continue his NFL career. The Giants, meanwhile, sit at 2-1 and will continue building their receiver rotation around Nabers, Fields, and Mooney as the season progresses.
