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Odell Beckham Jr.’s much ballyhooed NFL comeback hasn’t happened this season, but that doesn’t mean the chances of seeing him suit up for the New York Giants again are gone.
OBJ is tipped for a reunion with the team that drafted him by Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports. Dajani doesn’t think a heavily touted move to the Dallas Cowboys will “come to fruition” for Beckham, who instead will favor his former team “because it appears to be on the rise.”
Giants an Appealing Fit for Super Bowl Winner
The list of reasons why a Giants reunion should appeal to Beckham is long, according to Dajani: “Brian Daboll was clearly a good hire, Saquon Barkley is back to being a star and Daniel Jones may be a franchise quarterback. At the very least, he’s earned the right to be the guy in 2023. The Giants have a need at the wide receiver position, and OBJ has remained in touch with some of his friends there.”
Those are all factors in why the Giants have surprised the doubters to win nine games and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016. This is a roster on the rise, but one still lacking a marquee playmaker at wide receiver.
The Cowboys have no shortage of those, thanks to CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, so there’s good reason to doubt they will revisit signing Beckham: “After being spurned by the Cowboys this season, OBJ is going to sign with his former team. It seemed like the Cowboys were all-in on signing Beckham, then he showed up for his visit and Dallas signed … T.Y. Hilton.”
Beckham can be the go-to weapon the Giants need, provided he’s fully recovered from tearing the same ACL for the second time in less than two years in last season’s Super Bowl. He was reportedly “fully cleared” to return to the field back in November, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who also detailed Beckham’s intention to visit with the Giants, Cowboys and Buffalo Bills.
None of those visits yielded a deal, but the Giants naturally still possess the inside track. Beckham spent five seasons with Big Blue after being drafted 12th overall in 2014. He established himself as one of the NFL’s most dynamic players, earning an Offensive Rookie of the Year award and three Pro Bowl nods in the process.
Beckham has maintained his ties to the Giants throughout this season, from as early as October, per Jeff Howe of The Athletic:
There are close relationships between Beckham and key members of this Giants team. Specifically, running back Saquon Barkley and wide receiver Sterling Shepard. Both talked up the prospect of OBJ’s return after the veteran met with players and coaches in early December, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.
Bringing Beckham into the fold makes sense if it can be done on a salary cap-friendly deal appropriate for a 30-year-old with a lengthy injury history. The Giants need room and funds to bring back some of the low-key receivers who’ve helped the offense function without a proven pass-catcher like Beckham.
Giants Have Other Free-Agency Priorities at WR
As much as signing Beckham would excite fans as a splash move, the Giants can’t ignore the futures of some of their core contributors this season. Wideouts like Isaiah Hodgins, Darius Slayton and Richie James.
All three are free agents, with the Cowboys urged to sign James by Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox. It’s something the Giants will want to avoid after James emerged from relative obscurity to snag 57 receptions for 569 yards and four touchdowns.
James’ numbers are typical of the unheralded, no-name receivers who have performed above expectations this season. Hodgins went from a place on the Bills’ practice squad to being a reliable pair of hands in the red zone for the Giants, while Slayton established himself as a proven deep threat, averaging 15.7 yards per catch.
What any team wants is a receiver who combines all of these things. Beckham, at his best, can do just that. He can stretch defenses vertically, work the inside and be prolific in the red zone.
Beckham showed off two of those qualities with this touchdown catch for the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI:
There’s still 1,000-yard potential in Beckham’s game, but the Giants would need to retain key free agents like Jones, Barkley and James to help him reach the mark again. Keeping all three will take a chunk out of the $56,854,888 Spotrac.com projects the Giants to have under the cap.
Needing to also secure the futures of key defensive players like free safety Jordan Love and nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II means the Giants won’t be able to pay over the odds for Beckham. He could command as much as $20 million per year, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, a fee the Giants mustn’t sacrifice important talent to accommodate.
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