Getty Wide receiver Odell Beckham #13, formerly of the New York Giants, looks on as he warms up before taking on the Philadelphia Eagles.
With free agency taking precedent over trade rumors, speculation of Odell Beckham Jr.’s future whereabouts had taken a back seat over recent days — or at least it had.
On Tuesday afternoon, the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver fired off a quick six-letter tweet that simply read: “2nd act.”
2nd act.
Harmless right? Not so quick.
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NFL Twitter Reacts to Beckham’s Tweet, Link WR to Giants
Theorizing amongst NFL fans and analysts quickly ensued, with some perceiving OBJ’s words as a potential gateway to a New York Giants reunion. Take a look:
@obj Do you like this jersey swap I made?
@obj TIME TO LOG BACK IN ODELL LOG BACK IN BABBBAYY 👨💻
Beckham Clears Up the Situation
So what does this all mean? Almost certainly nothing. NFL Network’s Kim Jones reiterated that notion shortly after the wideout turned Twitter on its head. Jones stated that Beckham’s tweet was simply about returning from his torn ACL that limited him to just seven games in 2020.
Drafted by the Giants in 2014, the former 12th-overall pick quickly established himself as one of the league’s prominent offensive weapons while catching passes from Eli Manning. The LSU product hauled in 90-plus receptions, 1,300-plus yards and 10-plus touchdowns in each of his first three seasons in East Rutherford.
Unfortunately, things began to go downhill from there. Beckham suffered a fractured left ankle in 2017, limiting him just four games. The following offseason the team did hand the wideout a hefty five-year, $95 million contract extension ($41 million), yet that’s not to say they fully committed to him. Despite his new deal, and GM Dave Gettleman’s continued reiteration that the team did not sign Beckham simply to trade him, the Giants did just that. Some eight months later, the star wide receiver was dealt to the Cleveland Browns in an offseason trade.
Beckham’s time in Cleveland has been far from dominant. While he did manage to top 1,000 yards receiving in 2019, he’s failed to live up to the “generational talent” tag that he earned while in New York. Over 23 career games with the Browns, Beckham has amassed 97 receptions, 1,354 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. In comparison, Beckham topped all those numbers in back-to-back single seasons from 2015-16.
With that said, would Beckham be welcomed back to New York? It depends on who you ask. Yet, look at it from this perspective, the Giants haven’t had a receiver eclipse 66 receptions, nor 751 receiving yards in a season since Beckham’s departure. Even if the 28-year-old has theoretically lost a step, there’s still no pass-catcher on the Giants’ current roster that can carry OBJ’s jockstrap — sorry John Ross.
In reality, Beckham is on the books for $13.7 million-plus for each of the next three seasons, making a potential reunion fairly unrealistic from a financial standpoint. As for where Beckham will be catching passes next season, chances are it’s back in Cleveland. Quarterback Baker Mayfield took a big step forward in 2020 and the addition of a big-play threat opposite Jarvis Landry could mean great things for a team fresh off their first playoff appearance since 2002.