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Former New York Giants first-round pick and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com, North Jersey Record via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Analyst Argues Why Odell Beckham Jr. is a Good Fit for Giants

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Stephen Lebitsch | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 3:00 AM ET

Most New York Giants players will know that once you step into the spotlight of the Big Apple as a member of one of the NFL's most historic franchises, the constant media attention rarely, if ever, leaves you, even once their time in the big city has concluded.

For former Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., that has certainly been the case in recent weeks. If anyone has been tuned into social media, Beckham, a current free agent and the team's 2014 first-round pick out of LSU, has been making noise with his playful yet somewhat serious desire to return to East Rutherford with the organization that gave him his first chance at the pros.

Of course, the viral moments, that include Beckham acknowledging a fan's plea to rejoin the Giants while attending Fanatics Fest in New York City last weekend and posting a photo of him and his son sitting and gazing at MetLife Stadium, his home from 2014-2018, from the parking lot, have instantly sparked conversations from fans and current players alike who would love to see a reunion fall into place.

However, there hasn't been any true indications from the Giants as to that potential renewed partnership holding any water, leading many to believe they are content with the collection of wide receivers already at their disposal.

But should the Giants consider bringing back one of the most beloved players in the recent history of the team? CBS Sports's Cody Benjamin believes New York is one of the best fits for the three-time Pro Bowler in a move he coined a "low risk gamble".

"Besides Beckham and a handful of current Giants teasing the possibility of a reunion tour, this actually makes some sense," Benjamin said.

"OBJ is still a fan favorite among contingents of Giants faithful for the spunky playmaking that made him an NFL phenom at the start of his career. And some added receiver depth couldn't hurt behind returning starters Nabers and Darius Slayton.

"If coach Brian Daboll is trying to squeeze what he can out of Russell Wilson before turning to Jaxson Dart under center, Beckham registers as a decent low-risk gamble to give New York another set of proven hands off the bench."

Does Signing Odell Beckham Jr. Make Sense for the Giants?

While there is no doubt that a move to bring Odell Beckham Jr. back to East Rutherford would surely spark an extra dose of enthusiasm into what expects to be an improved season for the Giants, it seems like an unlikely one for several different reasons.

The first and foremost being the fact that the Giants' wide receiving corps is loaded heading into training camp next month, with 12 players who will be competing to fill what we project to be seven spots on the 53-man roster.

Truthfully, four of those spots are pretty much taken by Nabers, Darius Slayton, Wan'Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt, leaving only three spots to be fought for with a couple additional spots needed for special team guys.

So, Beckham would be joining into a crowded position group and it's unlikely that he would want to come in and just be a reserve player buried deep on the depth chart.

The only feasible way he would become a top weapon is if a player like Hyatt were to have a bad camp and drop out of the picture, but it seems like the Giants want to see what he can do before fully giving up on him.

There is also the money aspect of the whole thing. The Giants currently have the second-lowest cap space available at $3.82 million, only ahead of the Buffalo Bills.

If they were serious about dancing with Beckham again, he'd have to agree to take a veteran minimum type of deal to make the transaction work and we're not sure that's something he would accept unless he really wanted one more swing at being on an NFL team before he hangs up the cleats.

One area where it would make sense for Beckham is his impact as a mentor for the younger players in the position group, especially Nabers who is becoming the next face of the franchise.

Nabers could benefit from having a veteran in his corner to navigate his growing fame in the New York market, and the other receivers helping bring the most out of them as the Giants prepare for the 2025 season.

Short of that, any thought of seeing Beckham don the blue for a second time feels extremely limited.

As we've stated here before, his best chance could be to sign a ceremonial one-day contract with the Giants when he decides it is his time to ride off into the sunset, and then both sides could have that closure that it seemed was hastened when he was traded from the organization back in 2018.