Evan Barnes: Odell Beckham Jr. deserves one final chant after being released from Giants
Odell Beckham Jr. of the Giants against the Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 27, 2026. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The last memory of Odell Beckham Jr. in a Giants uniform won’t be a catch. It will be fans chanting his name in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win over the Titans.
“OBJ! OBJ!” A reminder of Beckham’s popularity for maybe the final time as an active player. The team released the veteran receiver Tuesday, a league source confirmed to Newsday.
Beckham brought headlines making the roster after training camp. He brought back his blonde hair and got his old No. 13 number back. But nostalgia gave way to realistic hurdles to being a regular contributor in his second Giants stint.
In three games, he played 20 snaps, was targeted once and had no catches. This was always a likely scenario for Beckham with Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney and rookie Malachi Fields ahead of him.
Even the most optimistic Giants fans knew he wasn’t going to start. They were just happy to see the player who had brought the team more joy and elite playmaking than anyone since its last Super Bowl win.
John Harbaugh said often he didn’t want to sign Beckham just to release him. Harbaugh saw what Beckham was in 2023 with the Ravens and he respected his journey. But Beckham countered that by saying he just wanted a chance to prove himself regardless of how it went.
“I love this game and I’ve sacrificed my whole life for it,” Beckham said before the season opener. “And I just want to give this city, this organization, these fans, every last bit of me.”
Whether he made the team or not, the goal was to try. Even in camp, Beckham needed fate to help his chances. Calvin Austin III’s ACL injury opened a door and Beckham stepped through.
He was introduced with the starters in this year’s season opener even though he didn’t start. That, along with last Sunday’s chants, will be the coda to a Giants tenure full of memorable moments.
“Wish him the best,” linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux said. “He’s a legend in the game and he fought so hard to make his way back in this league. He’s definitely gonna be able to make a statement somewhere so I’m not worried for him.”
From 2014-18, Beckham ascended to incredible heights and will go down as one of the great receivers in team history. But Beckham 2.0 was never going to reach that peak.
The Giants didn’t feature him in their game plan. The decrease from 11 snaps in Week 1 to three in Week 2 was a clear sign his role was limited. A run-heavy offense has little room for four-receiver sets and with Beckham as the fourth receiver, snaps were hard to find.
The Giants also made this move out of necessity. Braxton Berrios used up his three maximum practice squad elevations and now he’ll be signed to the active roster. As the team’s punt returner, he had a role on this team. Beckham did not.
Now he can try to find a role somewhere else or ponder retirement. This chapter has closed but Beckham can leave with his head held high. He went out on his own merits, not as a sympathy addition. For that, he deserves one more chant.
OBJ. OBJ.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
