Odell Beckham Jr. is back where his NFL career started. The New York Giants signed the veteran wide receiver on Monday, eight years after trading him to the Cleveland Browns. The team also added JuJu Smith-Schuster and Braxton Berrios the same day, overhauling a receiver room that needed depth heading into 2026.
According to CBS Sports, the signing came after a workout with the franchise earlier in the day. It was the second time this offseason Beckham had worked out for the Giants. This time, it resulted in a contract.
Beckham was the No. 12 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft out of LSU. He made an immediate impact, posting 1,305 receiving yards in his rookie season and winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. He followed that with three straight seasons of at least 1,300 receiving yards before injuries slowed him down in 2017. He signed a five-year, $95 million extension in 2018 and topped 1,000 yards in 12 games that season. Then New York sent him to Cleveland.
What followed was a long, uneven stretch around the league. After two and a half seasons with the Browns, Beckham forced his own release. He signed with the Los Angeles Rams and helped them reach Super Bowl LVI, catching a 17-yard touchdown before tearing his ACL in the same game. He did not play in 2022 while rehabbing. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023, then spent nine games with the Miami Dolphins in 2024. He did not play at all in 2025 and was suspended for six games for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. He is 33 years old.
The role Beckham steps into now is not what it was in his first stint. CBS Sports reported he will likely serve as a depth piece rather than a No. 1 option. His most productive years in the league came during those early New York seasons, and injuries have shaped much of what has come since. The team appears to be using him as a complementary piece rather than a cornerstone.
Smith-Schuster and Berrios give the Giants two more experienced options alongside Beckham. New York now has three veteran receivers added in a single day, which suggests the team sees receiver depth as a priority entering the season.
Beckham's return to the franchise that drafted him closes a loop on a career that has taken him to Cleveland, Los Angeles, Baltimore, and Miami. Whether he can contribute meaningfully in 2026 at his age and given his injury history remains to be seen. His best football remains a decade behind him, but the Giants appear willing to find out what he still has to offer.
