Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. May Have Blown His One Opportunity

For a moment during the New York Giants' preseason win over the Miami Dolphins on Saturday, it looked like Odell Beckham Jr. was about to seize his biggest opportunity.

On 2nd-and-2 from the Dolphins' 15-yard line, Giants quarterback Jameis Winston dropped back to pass. He then spotted Beckham flashing in the back of the end zone and rocketed a throw toward the three-time Pro Bowler.

Beckham leapt, got his hands on the ball but then watched it slip through his fingers, blowing a chance for a highlight-reel grab and his first Big Blue touchdown since 2018.

And in the process, may have also blown his chances of making the roster.

The general consensus is that New York will keep six wide receivers heading into the regular season. Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin III and Malachi Fields all appear to be locks. Yes, there has been some uncertainty surrounding Mooney, but it seems hard to imagine the speedy weapon not making the squad.

That leaves just one spot remaining, and following the Giants' decision to cut JuJu Smith-Schuster, the door appeared to be kicked open for Beckham, who did not play at all in 2025 but has looked sharp in training camp and quite shifty over the course of his first two exhibition contests.

However, it looks as if Braxton Berrios, who signed with New York the same day as Beckham and Smith-Schuster back on June 1, is staking his claim to that sixth wide receiver slot thanks to his special teams prowess.

Beckham failing to corral that touchdown grab — which was a bit high, but that was by design, and it still should have been caught — may have ultimately sealed his fate, especially considering it looked like Berrios was the favorite even beforehand.

Berrios sat out of the Giants' preseason victory over Miami (which, ironically enough, was Beckham's last stop in 2024 before being cut), and while it was evidently due to a minor soft-tissue injury, you get the feeling that the former First-Team All-Pro would have been out there if his job were on the line.

New York could always keep seven receivers if it is only viewing Berrios as a returner, much like it used Gunner Olszewski (who is out for all of 2026 due to a torn Achilles) last year. Olszewski did catch 10 passes — including a touchdown — in 2025, but he was almost exclusively a return weapon.

But it just doesn't seem all that likely given that doing so would remove a roster spot from another position, and the Giants need all the help they can get at several areas of need (like cornerback and defensive tackle, for example).

It should also be noted that Berrios has been very active with the offense in camp, so New York even seems to like him as a pass-catcher.

The fact of the matter is that Beckham missed all of last season. He logged just nine catches in nine games for the Dolphins in 2024. His most productive campaign over the last six years was when he registered 565 yards with the Baltimore Ravens — under John Harbaugh — in 2023.

Beckham simply isn't that guy anymore, and his inability to come down with that catch in the end zone this past Saturday may have been the final nail in the coffin for the former Giants first-round pick.