There’s been a lot of chatter surrounding Odell Beckham Jr. and his former team, the New York Giants. In what’s become a pretty annual talking point, the 33-year-old is once again a free agent looking for his next landing spot. And the connect-the-dots nostalgia crowd always finds its way back to Big Blue for good reason.
The three-time Pro Bowler had his best years with the G-Men, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and hauling in 390 passes for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns in five seasons. Since he was traded to the Browns in 2019, it’s been all downhill for the once-promising star receiver. And even though it’s been eight years since he wore No. 13 and made circus catches look routine, the interest in bringing him back has gone absolutely nowhere.
That apparently isn’t changing under this new regime either.
At the league meetings in Phoenix, AZ, new head coach John Harbaugh was asked about bringing OBJ back to North Jersey, and his response (reported by Pat Leonard) left the door wide open for one of the more anticipated reunions the G-Men have seen in a while:
"You look at every option, and Odell is an option."
Please give me a second while I put the pieces of my mind back together.
Odell Beckham Jr and the Giants just refuse to leave each other alone
Who woulda thought flag football would be the reason why Beckham's name is being brought up at the league meetings? The wideout put on a clinic at Tom Brady's Fanatics Flag Football Classic earlier in March, suggesting there might be more in the proverbial tank.
It's no surprise that the biggest holdup on the Sign Beckham Front is the health concerns that come with bringing in an oft-injured receiver who's on the wrong side of 30. So while it's fun to get caught up in OBJ lighting it up on the field again, it's important to remember it's only flag football.
Beckham has had a rough go in recent years. He did win a Super Bowl with the Rams in 2021, but the next time he eclipses 600 receiving yards in a season will be his first since 2019. It's not just the Giants connection that makes this so interesting. He signed a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens back in 2023, under Harby, playing 14 games, catching 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns. The two still text consistently.
That’s the last time he’s looked even remotely productive. He turned the Charm City stint into a one-year deal with the Dolphins in 2024, where he played in nine games and caught nine passes for 55 yards and no scores.
Still, a reunion would be electric. Malik Nabers is on board. New York lost Wan’Dale Robinson in free agency and brought in Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin to round things out. The room is pretty full, but for OBJ, you make it work. Whether Harbaugh and Co. actually want to go there is another story, but even as a locker room guy, it’s not hard to see the appeal. Bring him home.