This weekend’s rookie minicamp was an opportunity for new Giants head coach John Harbaugh to get a closer look at exciting newcomers such as top-10 picks Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa.
It also provided him a chance to address a potential reunion with Odell Beckham, who is a dozen years past his Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign but has been linked to New York since working out for the team on April 20.
“I talked to Odell probably three, four times in the last week and where he’s at, where we’re at,” Harbaugh said Saturday when asked where things stand, per team transcript. “He’s in Arizona right now training and spending time with his son. I think the goal for right now is for him to train and get as ready as he can be, and then we’ll see where we’re at at that time.
“For Odell, this is the conversation that we had. We had just such an honest conversation. It’s got to be right for both parties. You know, Odell wants to be the kind of player that can make a difference. I’m pretty sure that he can make a team in the National Football League right now, but can he make a difference? It’s something he wants to do. Is his body going to hold up in the way he wants it to, and all those things are questions that need to get answered for anybody at that age.”Beckham didn’t play in the NFL last season and hasn’t suited up for the Giants since 2018, having spent time with the Browns, Rams, Ravens (under Harbaugh) and Dolphins since, but he delivered his finest years in New York.
On top of his 2014 OROY campaign, Beckham made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons, all of which eclipsed 1,300 receiving yards. Despite his tenure with New York not ending on the best of terms when the team traded him to Cleveland in 2018 and Beckham last logging only nine catches for 55 yards with Miami in 2024 before agreeing to part ways in December of that season, there is intrigue in the 33-year-old returning to his Big Blue roots.
One impediment, as Harbaugh alluded to, is the actual impact Beckham could have on the Giants while attempting to stage a comeback.
The squad’s wide receiver room is stocked with superstar Malik Nabers, third-rounder Malachi Fields and healthy depth with players such as Darius Slayton, Darnell Mooney, Jalin Hyatt, Isaiah Hodgins and Calvin Austin III.
If Beckham fits somewhere on the depth chart, it would seem to be near the bottom, fighting for a spot.
For now, there’s nothing imminent and seemingly no rush from either side, as check-ins could stretch through the summer.
“You know Odell,” Harbaugh said. “He’s confident, man. He’s confident. He’s working hard. He believes in himself. I think we’ll just play it out over the next month and into training camp and see where we’re at.”
