Odell Beckham Jr. made his return to competitive football at the inaugural Fanatics Flag Football Classic earlier this year. During the event, he executed a vintage one-handed catch, which sparked rumors about a possible return to the NFL.
The 33-year-old’s performance caught the attention of one of his former teams, the New York Giants. After spending the 2025 season out of the league, Beckham Jr. had a workout with the Giants on April 20.
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For the first time since Beckham Jr. worked out for the team, new Giants head coach John Harbaugh addressed a potential reunion with the two-time second-team All-Pro receiver at Giants’ rookie minicamp.
“I talked to Odell probably three, four times in the last week and where he’s at, where we’re at,” Harbaugh said Saturday, May 9. “He’s in Arizona right now training and spending time with his son. I think the goal for right now is for him to train and get as ready as he can be, and then we’ll see where we’re at at that time.
“For Odell, this is the conversation that we had. We had just such an honest conversation. It’s got to be right for both parties. You know, Odell wants to be the kind of player that can make a difference. I’m pretty sure that he can make a team in the National Football League right now, but can he make a difference? It’s something he wants to do. Is his body going to hold up in the way he wants it to, and all those things are questions that need to get answered for anybody at that age.”
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Harbaugh coached Beckham during the 2023 season with the Baltimore Ravens so if he wants to add depth and veteran competition across from Malik Nabers, bringing in Beckham would make sense.
“Now, you know Odell, he’s confident, man. He’s confident, he’s working hard, and he believes in himself. So I think we’ll just play it out over the next month and into training camp and see where we’re at.”
Beckham played the first five years of his NFL career with the Giants. He indicated interest in returning to the team when asked by FanDuel TV’s Kay Adams about the possibility of teaming up with Jaxson Dart.
“That sounds great,” Beckham responded. “If that opportunity presents itself, I would love to do that. (I’d) be excited about that.”
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Do the Giants need Beckham? “Big Blue” brought in veterans Darnell Mooney and Calvin Austin III during free agency and selected Malachi Fields – a big-bodied “X” receiver – from Notre Dame in the third round (74th overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft. In addition to Nabers, Darius Slayton underwent surgery to address a core-muscle injury.
With both Nabers and Slayton recovering, the door is slightly open for a wide receiver like Beckham Jr. to come in and add a veteran presence to the group which also features Isaiah Hodgins and Jalin Hyatt.
Beckham Jr. last played for the Miami Dolphins in 2024, posting nine catches for 55 yards across nine games. If the former Offensive Rookie of the Year is eventually signed, he would likely be battling Hodgins and Hyatt for a roster spot.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: John Harbaugh addresses potential Odell Beckham Jr.-Giants reunion
