In 2018, the New York Giants made Odell Beckham Jr. one of the highest-paid receivers in the league with a five-year, $90 million extension. Less than a year later, he was traded to the Cleveland Browns. The story of Beckham Jr. and the Giants has never been simple, and the latest chapter isn’t either.
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When the Giants signed Beckham Jr. on June 1, a harmonious reunion was expected. However, after just 120 days from the date of signing, the veteran wide receiver remains a free agent. New York released Beckham Jr. on September 29, a decision that didn’t bode well for many.
“@nygiants John Harbaugh, Matt Nagy and the entire Giants organization… Y’all had one of the greatest full-circle stories in football sitting right in front of you. Odell Beckham Jr. back in New York — the place he’s said he never wanted to leave. Back in Giants blue. Back in front of an entire stadium chanting: ‘WE WANT ODELL!’ And this wasn’t just nostalgia,” Jackie Jake captioned an Instagram post for OBJ. “I watched the preseason. He was creating separation, breaking defenders down, getting open and showing he could still make a DIFFERENCE.
“Harbaugh said he earned his spot. Nagy said he wasn’t just a backup and talked about packages to get him involved. Then give the man the d–n opportunity…I don’t know what happened behind those doors. Maybe y’all got tired of answering questions about Odell. Maybe the chants and pressure to play him became too much. I don’t know. But I know what it looked like from the outside: A slap in the face.”
While the professional details of Instagram user Jackie Jake are unknown, he has several posts with Odell Beckham Jr. on his feed. Considering that, the veteran WR also shared his honest reaction to Jake’s post.
“Love forever on this !!! Real S–t,” Beckham Jr. replied to the post.
The uproar behind Odell Beckham Jr.’s release isn’t without reason. Across the first three weeks of the season, the 33-year-old WR was barely integrated into the offense. He played just 20 total snaps, was targeted only once, and recorded zero catches. Considering how Beckham Jr. was assessed in the preseason and how the season turned out to be for the WR, the backlash intensified.
After signing Beckham Jr., the Giants head coach John Harbaugh initially made it clear that nothing was guaranteed and he would have to work for a spot. And after a solid preseason showing (7 catches for 76 yards), Harbaugh publicly praised Beckham Jr.
“He has done enough to make an NFL roster, for sure,” Harbaugh said after the 53-man roster announcement. “He’s played well. He’s gotten better as camp’s gone along. He deserves credit for that. He’s done a really good job with it.”
However, as the Giants entered three weeks into the 2026 season, Harbaugh’s thoughts about Beckham Jr.’s compatibility with the team changed.
“We just weren’t getting enough,” Harbaugh told reporters Wednesday. “It just wasn’t working for us. I wanted to be able to give more; I wanted him to be able to do more. I wanted to get him on the field more. For whatever reason, we weren’t able to do it. Put it on us. We weren’t able to get it done.”
Despite making the roster, when Beckham Jr. barely saw the field through the first two weeks of the season, the media also raised questions. That is when offensive coordinator Matt Nagy released a statement on the matter.
“Odell is – he does a lot of good things well,” Nagy said a week before Beckham Jr.’s release. “We’re trying to slowly package him into some things offensively. It’s not that he’s just a backup. There’s times when, whatever it is personnel-wise, we have it in the game plan, and we just didn’t get to it.”
Jackie Jake’s attack is based on how the Giants and John Harbaugh teased a promising season for Odell Beckham Jr., but instead ended up releasing the veteran wide receiver.
Beckham Jr., on the other hand, has no intention of retiring and still plans to continue his NFL career.
“One door closes, another door opens. I promise you that!” OBJ said through NFL insider Josina Anderson on X.