The New York Giants' reunion with Odell Beckham Jr. was never truly exciting.
Back in June, the New York Giants signed Odell Beckham Jr. to compete for a spot on the 53-man roster. Initially, he appeared to be on the outside looking, but Calvin Austin III tearing his ACL opened a door for him.
Sure enough, the Giants placed Beckham on the squad, and there were some who actually felt he could contribute this season.
Well, that didn't actually happen, as the three-time Pro Bowler played a grand total of three games with 20 snaps before getting cut on Tuesday. He didn't log a single catch and was targeted just one time.
But honestly, what did anyone truly expect?
Yes, Beckham looked spry in training camp, and he had some moments during the preseason. But he also didn't play at all in 2025, and he was cut by the Miami Dolphins in the middle of the 2024 campaign.
There is a reason why no one picked him up last year, just like there was a reason why he was so readily available for New York to sign in June.
Now 33 years old with an extensive injury history, Beckham is not even a shell of the player he once was during his first stint with the Giants, when he began his career on an all-time great trajectory because injuries and behavioral issues sabotaged him.
Beckham's last truly productive season came with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023, when he caught 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns. That familiarity with John Harbaugh was a big reason why New York signed him to begin with.
So was the uncertainty surrounding Malik Nabers.
Nabers tore his ACL last September, and his timeline was rather murky heading into the offseason. It became especially cloudy after Nabers underwent a second procedure on the afflicted knee to remove some scar tissue.
But once it became obvious that Nabers was just fine in training camp, Beckham's role with the Giants was almost nullified.
Had Austin not gotten injured over the summer, New York probably would have cut Beckham before the season, so the fact that Big Blue has decided to part ways with Beckham now does not come as much of a shocker.
Perhaps another team will give Beckham a shot this season, but it's looking more and more like the career of a once electrifying weapon is coming to a depressing end.
The fanfare surrounding Beckham's Giants homecoming was fun, but at its core, this was always an empty reunion.
