Odell Beckham Jr. Returns to Giants Action With Roster Spot on the Line

Odell Beckham Jr. is back in a Giants uniform, but his preseason homecoming now comes with a high-stakes fight to make New York’s final roster.

Odell Beckham Jr.’s Giants return moved from training camp to game action on Saturday, August 15, as the veteran receiver suited up in New York’s 13-10 preseason loss to the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium. Complex reports that Beckham finished with two catches for six yards on three targets while competing for a place on the Giants’ 53-man roster.

The modest stat line did not tell the entire story for Beckham, who pointed to his ability to create separation as an important part of his evaluation. After the game, the 33-year-old said “the tape will never lie,” adding that the people making roster decisions would be able to see what he did even when the football did not come his way.

Head coach John Harbaugh offered a measured review of Beckham’s first game back, saying the receiver “looked pretty good” while also acknowledging there were things he could have done better. Harbaugh has been clear that Beckham’s history with the franchise will not decide the outcome, leaving his roster fate tied to what he shows over the remainder of the preseason.

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The competition is crowded, with Beckham battling players including Braxton Berrios, Dalen Cambre, Isaiah Hodgins, Jalin Hyatt and JuJu Smith-Schuster for what could be only one or two available receiver spots. Beckham was listed on the third team on the Giants’ initial unofficial depth chart, and his lack of a traditional special-teams role could make his performance as a receiver even more important before final cuts on August 30.

Beckham’s comeback carries extra significance because he spent the entire 2025 season out of the NFL after last playing for Miami in 2024. He previously worked with Harbaugh in Baltimore in 2023, recording 565 receiving yards and three touchdowns, before eventually returning to the franchise that selected him with the No. 12 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.

During his original Giants run from 2014 through 2018, Beckham became one of the league’s most recognizable receivers and earned three Pro Bowl selections. This time, the challenge is different: stay healthy, keep getting open and prove he can still help New York enough to turn a celebrated reunion into a place on the Week 1 roster.