Turn back the clock to 2018: OBJ is a New York Giant.
New York is signing wide receiver Odell Beckham, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero reported on Monday, per sources. The team later announced the signing.
OBJ's return to Big Blue comes after a Monday workout with the team, his second of the offseason. Veteran WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, who also worked out for the club on Monday, is also signing with New York, per Rapoport and Garafolo. The Giants also agreed to terms with receiver/kick returner Braxton Berrios, per ESPN.
"Nothin was ever given to me I worked for everything I have," Beckham wrote on Instagram following the signing. "Never give up on urself. Home Team i'm back…. Let's get itttt"
Beckham, 33, did not play last season, during which he received a six-game suspension in October for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug policy.
He last suited up during a forgettable 2024 campaign for the Miami Dolphins, making nine catches for 55 yards in nine appearances before he and the team agreed to part ways. The season before, he totaled 565 yards and three touchdowns on 35 catches for the Baltimore Ravens and then-coach John Harbaugh. He first rose to prominence with the Giants from 2014-18, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and making three Pro Bowls while amassing 390 receptions for 5,476 yards and 44 scores.
His signing therefore serves as a double reunion of sorts, bringing him back to the team that drafted him No. 12 overall in 2014 and connecting him again to Harbaugh, who in March told NFL senior national columnist Judy Battista that Beckham is one of his "favorite people in the world."
Beckham participated in Brian Burns' charity softball game this weekend ahead of his workout and expressed his desire for a return to New York.
"It's a place I never wanted to leave," Beckham said, "and it's just a special place in my heart, just to see all of these Big Blue jerseys -- just hoping for the best."
Although it's a fun story, the question is how much of an impact Beckham can truly make for a retooling New York squad.
There's room for him in a somewhat underpowered wide receiver room. Malik Nabers is a superstar, of course, and the Giants used a 2026 third-round pick on Notre Dame's Malachi Fields. The always trusty Darius Slayton also remains. However, New York lost Wan'Dale Robinson to free agency after his breakout year, and just last week lost Gunner Olszewski to an Achilles injury.
Beckham presumably should serve as depth to help fill the void alongside other additions such as Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III, but he has been off the NFL radar for quite some time and is at an age where even those making a yearly impact at wideout tend to starting diminishing. The hope is that, at the very least, he can provide a veteran voice in the locker room and assist with the development of second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Regardless of the eventual outcome, Beckham's signing sets up for a fitting end to a circuitous journey. Beckham went from a beloved star to a disgruntled one in his first foray with New York, leading to a trade to the Browns, a release from Cleveland two seasons and change later, a Super Bowl-winning stint with the Rams, the aforementioned campaigns with the Ravens and Dolphins and, finally, back to Big Blue.
His addition continues a climactic offseason period for the Giants during which the team traded defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 10 overall pick, combining that capital with the draft's fifth selection to add linebacker Arvell Reese and offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa to the rebuilding formula. They also signed veterans Shelby Harris and DJ Reader to beef the interior back up in Lawrence's absence.
With any luck, the future in New York can again be bright -- and a blast from the past is back to being a part of it.
