New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh had called Sunday the “perfect time” to finally get Odell Beckham Jr. involved. Instead, the veteran wide receiver played just six snaps against the Tennessee Titans, received one target, and was released by the Giants two days later.
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On Wednesday, Harbaugh took responsibility for the decision, saying the Giants simply weren’t getting enough production from Beckham’s roster spot.
“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.”
Beckham returned to New York this offseason hoping to revive a career that began with the Giants in spectacular fashion. The 33-year-old made the roster after a strong preseason, but his second stint quickly became difficult to justify as his role disappeared once the regular season began.
He played 11 snaps in Week 1, three in Week 2, and six against Tennessee. Across those three games, Beckham finished with one target and zero receptions. That lack of involvement became even more striking after Harbaugh publicly said the Titans game would be the right opportunity to use him.
“I would think Sunday would be great. I would be all for it for Sunday,” Harbaugh said last week. “That would be the perfect time in my mind. So I hope that happens this Sunday.”
It did not. Beckham was on the field for only a handful of plays while the Giants leaned on Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney and rookie Malachi Fields. Fans even began chanting “OBJ! OBJ!” during Sunday’s 12-7 win, but the Giants still did not find a meaningful role for him.
Harbaugh insisted the decision was about the team’s needs rather than Beckham himself.
“If you think it’s anything else, then you don’t know me. And you don’t know what we’re doing here. It’s nothing more than that,” Harbaugh added. “It’s not doing enough for our offense. It’s not doing enough for our team. So we need to make a change.”
The roster situation also played a part. The Giants needed to add returner Braxton Berrios to the active roster after using his three practice-squad elevations. Beckham did not contribute on special teams, making his limited offensive role harder to maintain.
The release ended a reunion that had carried plenty of emotion. Beckham had spent the previous season out of the NFL and had not played since his nine-catch, 54-yard stint with the Miami Dolphins in 2024.
He returned to New York in June on a one-year, $1.3 million deal and earned his roster spot after catching seven passes for 76 yards during the preseason.
When the Giants told him he had made the team, Beckham became emotional while discussing what the opportunity meant after everything he had gone through.
Now, the reunion is over after only three games. Still, Harbaugh made clear that the relationship itself did not fall apart.
“I hope he lands somewhere. He’s a great friend. I love the guy,” the coach said.
Beckham also appeared to take the release in stride, telling Josina Anderson that “one door closes and another opens.”
The Giants will move forward with Berrios joining Nabers, Mooney and Fields, while Beckham once again searches for an NFL team willing to give him the role he could not find in New York.