Odell Beckham Jr. Has ‘Done Enough’ to Make NFL Roster, Giants Coach Says

Odell Beckham Jr. wanted another shot with the New York Giants. He got two workouts, a contract with no guarantees, an entire training camp to prove himself—and now John Harbaugh says OBJ has done enough to belong in the NFL.

“Yeah, he has done enough to make an NFL roster, for sure,” Harbaugh said after the Giants wrapped their preseason with a 23-6 win over the Jets, per ESPN. “He’s played well. He’s gotten better as camp’s gone along.”

That’s a long way from where Beckham was a year ago. The 33-year-old spent the entire 2025 season out of football after a forgettable run in Miami produced nine catches for 55 yards. He also served a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy.

Beckham never retired, though, and by early 2026 he was publicly plotting his return—with New York emerging as his preferred destination.

First came the flirting. Asked in March about potentially catching passes from Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, Beckham didn’t hide his interest. “If that opportunity presents itself, I would love to do that,” he said.

Then came the work. Beckham visited the Giants for multiple workouts before finally signing with the team in the spring, returning to the franchise that made him a first-round pick and instant superstar in 2014.

But the Giants weren’t signing the old OBJ. Beckham arrived competing for his job alongside a crowded group of receivers, and Harbaugh—who previously coached him in Baltimore—made clear that history wasn’t buying anybody a roster spot. Beckham responded by not missing a practice all summer and repeatedly showing he could still separate from defenders.

That carried into the preseason. Against Minnesota, Beckham caught only two passes for six yards but repeatedly found space, including one fourth-quarter play where he beat his defender deep and never saw the ball.

“The tape will never lie,” Beckham said afterward. “The right people will see it.”

His finale against the Jets made the argument harder to miss. Beckham finished with three catches for 53 yards and flashed his speed on a deep route that could have become a 73-yard touchdown.

He hit 20.54 mph while leaving his defender behind, but Jameis Winston’s throw forced him to dive and the ball came loose. Beckham says he has reached similar speeds throughout camp and believes he can crack 21 mph.

It’s a striking position for a player whose career appeared to be winding down. After five explosive seasons with the Giants—including three Pro Bowls and three consecutive 1,300-yard campaigns—Beckham was traded to Cleveland in 2019.

Two torn ACLs followed, including one suffered after scoring a touchdown for the Rams in Super Bowl LVI. Stops in Baltimore and Miami never produced anything resembling his first run in New York.

Now Beckham is waiting on one last decision. The Giants must finalize their 53-man roster by Sunday at 6 p.m., and Harbaugh stopped short of officially telling Beckham he made it.

“It would mean everything to me if I made it,” Beckham said.