Key Takeaways
- Odell Beckham Jr. signed with the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad just over a week after the New York Giants released him.
- Minnesota added the 33-year-old as Justin Jefferson deals with an ankle sprain and the undefeated Vikings look to jump-start their struggling offense.
- Beckham reunites with coach Kevin O’Connell after catching no passes across three games with New York and saying, “I coulda really been playing this year somewhere and making an impact.”
Odell Beckham Jr. wasn't unemployed for long.
Just over a week after his rocky New York Giants reunion ended with his release, OBJ has signed with the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad, the team announced on Wednesday, October 7.
The move gives Beckham another shot at extending his NFL career—and comes days after the 33-year-old complained that his brief Giants stint may have cost him an opportunity to make an impact somewhere else.
Minnesota has a reason to kick the tires now. The Vikings are 4-0 despite struggling offensively, while star receiver Justin Jefferson is dealing with a sprained left ankle that kept him out of Week 4 and has put his Week 5 status in doubt.
Veteran Jauan Jennings, signed to work behind Jefferson and Jordan Addison, has managed only two catches for nine yards in three appearances.
Minnesota also added receiver Jeshaun Jones to its practice squad.
For Beckham, the move comes with familiar faces. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell was the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator when Beckham joined the team midway through the 2021 season and helped Los Angeles win Super Bowl LVI.
Beckham caught the game's opening touchdown before tearing his ACL in the second quarter. Vikings assistant head coach Frank Smith also worked with Beckham during his 2024 stint in Miami.
Those relationships could offer Beckham a fresh start after his Giants comeback unraveled almost immediately.
New York brought its former superstar back this spring following two workouts, but nothing was guaranteed. Beckham spent training camp fighting for a roster spot, didn't miss a practice, and showed enough during the preseason for Giants coach John Harbaugh to declare that he had “done enough to make an NFL roster, for sure.”
OBJ saw it the same way.
The feel-good portion didn't last.
Beckham played just 20 offensive snaps across three games and wasn't credited with a reception. The near-total disappearance from New York’s offense prompted former Super Bowl-winning coach Bruce Arians to declare that “the end is near” for Beckham shortly before the Giants released him.
OBJ responded much differently.
After his release, Beckham suggested that New York benefited from the attention surrounding his homecoming without giving him a real opportunity to contribute. “They got me,” he wrote. “They won.”
“I shoulda known better,” Beckham added, before making clear he believed he could have spent those weeks helping another team: “I coulda really been playing this year somewhere and making an impact.”
Beckham has 575 career catches, 7,987 yards, and 59 receiving touchdowns.
