Key Takeaways
- Odell Beckham Jr. praised Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell for personally recruiting him and making him feel “wanted” after the Giants released him.
- Beckham accused New York of benefiting from his comeback buzz while giving him just one target across roughly 20 offensive snaps in three games.
- The 4-0 Vikings added Beckham to their practice squad as injuries to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison strained their receiving depth.
Odell Beckham Jr. went from accusing the New York Giants of using him to praising the Minnesota Vikings for making him feel wanted. He said the difference started with one text message.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, October 7, after signing with Minnesota's practice squad, Beckham said Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell personally contacted him after New York released him on Sept. 29.
"He had extreme confidence and belief and texted me," Beckham said, per Bleacher Report. "It's always good to be somewhere where you're wanted. He was the one who reached out and kind of made this whole thing happen."
The comments carry particular weight considering how Beckham's highly publicized Giants reunion fell apart. Just days earlier, the three-time Pro Bowler suggested New York benefited from the attention around his comeback without giving him a meaningful chance to contribute.
"They got me," Beckham wrote on Instagram after his release. "They won."
He also admitted, "I shoulda known better," before arguing that he "coulda really been playing this year somewhere and making a impact."
Now, Beckham has another chance with a coach who already knows what he brings to the field.
O'Connell served as the Los Angeles Rams' offensive coordinator during Beckham's 2021 championship run, which ended with the receiver catching a touchdown in Super Bowl LVI before suffering a torn ACL.
Minnesota assistant head coach Frank Smith also worked with Beckham during his 2024 stint with the Miami Dolphins.
That familiarity appears to have made the transition easier.
"It seemed as if he wanted me to be here and that was expressed to me," Beckham said of O'Connell. "That feels good when you're playing a sport like this, when you're laying your livelihood on the line."
The situation in Minnesota is also considerably different from the one Beckham left behind.
The Vikings are 4-0 despite struggling offensively, and injuries have complicated their receiving corps. Justin Jefferson is dealing with an ankle injury, while Jordan Addison missed Wednesday's practice because of a hamstring issue.
Veteran Jauan Jennings has also struggled to produce, catching just two for nine yards in three appearances.
Beckham joins the practice squad alongside fellow receiver Jeshaun Jones, giving Minnesota additional depth while its established targets work through their respective situations.
It's another dramatic turn for a player who spent months trying to revive his career in New York.
Beckham signed with the Giants in June after two workouts and eventually earned a spot on the 53-man roster despite missing the entire 2025 season. Coach John Harbaugh praised his training camp performance, declaring that Beckham had "done enough to make an NFL roster, for sure."
OBJ played about 20 offensive snaps across three games, got just one target, and finished his Giants reunion without a catch.
Beckham clearly isn't ready to agree.
"Life happens fast, but life in the NFL feels like it happens faster," he said Wednesday. "It was just a situation that came up, and it seemed right."
