Odell Beckham Jr. came into the league in 2014 as the No. 12 overall pick out of LSU, joining the New York Football Giants as an expected star. Since then, he's taken a number of paths in the league, and it seems all roads lead back to 1 MetLife Stadium Drive, East Rutherford, New Jersey.
On Sunday, NFL teams narrowed down their teams for the upcoming season, needing to be at 53 players by 6 p.m. ET. This means a total of 1,184 players will be released by their teams.
According to an ESPN report, Beckham is not one of those players.
Beckham signed with the Giants this offseason, looking not only for a reunion with his old team but also with his former coach. Beckham worked with current Giants head coach John Harbaugh when they were both with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023.
Harbaugh complimented Beckham's efforts as the 33-year-old was working to make the roster. Earlier this week, Harbaugh added that this was OBJ's "best week" at training camp.
"Yes, he has done enough to make an NFL roster, for sure," Harbaugh said. "He's played well. He's gotten better as camp's gone along. He deserves credit for that. He's done a really good job with it."
Beckham has some unfinished business with the Giants and feels like he has more to give on the football field, and gets his chance this year with the Giants when they kick off their season on Sept. 13 at home against division rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.
The Giants' starting quarterback is Jaxson Dart, with Jameis Winston backing him up. The wide receiver room also includes Malik Nabers, rookie Malachi Fields, Darius Slayton and Darnell Mooney.
"It would mean everything to me if I made it," Beckham said earlier this week. "... I feel like I gave everything I've had. Super grateful for the opportunity. ... I know that I have a good feeling about myself. I feel like there is ball to be played, plays to be made. Right now, I'm just truly grateful for that opportunity and experience."
His journey has included many bumps in the road, injuries, team changes and up-and-down play.
Beckham last saw an NFL regular-season game as a member of the Miami Dolphins in 2024. He was eventually waived in December of the same year. Ahead of the release, he appeared in nine games, finishing with nine receptions for 55 yards.
In October of 2025, Beckham was suspended for six games for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy. He would not play a single snap all season, making his last in-game appearance on December 8, 2024, against the New York Jets, where he had one reception for one yard.
OBJ spent the first five years playing for the Giants, recording memorable moments like the one-handed catch and racking up four 1,000-plus-yard receiving seasons, and earning all three of his Pro Bowl selections during his time with the team.
He was one to watch from the beginning, winning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014, but after a solid first year with the Browns, an ACL injury impacted his stat line and playing time in Cleveland. His time with the Browns was not without drama: he played for them in 2019, 2020 and six games in 2021 before joining the Los Angeles Rams in November of 2021.
Beckham played eight games for the Rams, recording 27 receptions for 305 yards on the Super Bowl-winning team. OBJ was sidelined for the majority of the big game after scoring the first touchdown of the contest against the Cincinnati Bengals due to an ACL injury. He didn't get to play the entire game, but he did get his ring.
He didn't end up signing with a team for the following season, sitting out all of 2022 before joining the Ravens for one season in 2023 and Miami in 2024, bringing us to his latest venture.
Beckham discussed having to sit out two full seasons in his career and the decision to keep playing, even with some roadblocks.
"It was a tough couple years, taking a step back and deciding whether to move forward with life. Are you done? The mental battles that we go through and just push through, persevere and overcome adversity ..." Beckham said.
In his career, Beckham has played 119 games, with 97 starts, totaling 7,987 receiving yards and 59 touchdowns in the air.
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