Why are the New York Giants even bothering with Odell Beckham Jr.?
The New York Giants have been having discussions with Odell Beckham Jr. in recent weeks, but it's becoming more and more obvious that there probably isn't a match.
John Harbaugh has been providing updates on Beckham throughout the process, and every time the Giants head coach speaks on the situation, you can just sense that New York is going to go in a different direction.
Most recently, Harbaugh essentially said that Beckham wants a role that the Giants won't be able to provide.
"You know Odell, man. He's confident, man. He's confident," Harbaugh said, via Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports. "He's working hard. He believes in himself. I think we'll just play it out over the next month and into training camp and see where we're at."
Vacchiano added that Beckham doesn't just want to be a "camp body."
In other words, Beckham wants to get constant playing time, which is just not realistic for the 33-year-old at this stage of his career.
Beckham did not play at all in 2025. He was last seen appearing in nine games with the Miami Dolphins two years ago, when he totaled nine catches for 55 yards.
The former first-round pick — who spent the first five years of his career with the Giants between 2014 and 2018 — has not logged a 1,000-yard campaign since 2019, and he has posted 500 receiving yards just twice since then.
Odell Beckham Jr. Credit: USA TODAY Network.New York has added three wide receivers this offseason, having signed Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III in free agency while also drafting Malachi Fields.
The Giants also still have Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton and Isaiah Hodgins, so it's hard to see where Beckham would actually get playing time.
At this point, Beckham needs to come to grips with the fact that he is no longer a regular contributor anymore. He had a decent showing for Harbaugh's Baltimore Ravens in 2023, catching 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns, but he has barely been on the field since.
There is a reason why no other teams are really expressing any sort of serious interest in Beckham at this point, just like there was a reason why the Dolphins cut him in 2024 ... and why no one picked him up last season.
Remember: a big reason why New York parted ways with Beckham back in March 2019 — less than a year after signing him to a contract extension — was because of his attitude. But back at that time, he was so good that you could deal with it.
That is no longer the case, and the Giants would be far better off just walking away from the situation now before they add Beckham and he potentially causes locker room issues because of a lack of snaps.
Beckham still feels he can be a top wide receiver. The facts say otherwise. Time for New York to move on.
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