NFL
Odell Beckham Jr. Linked With Shock Giants Return as Harbaugh Values Locker Room Impact
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Dallas Cowboys v New York Giants by Al Bello | Getty Images
The Giants interest in former superstar receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is real and extends beyond whatever the oft-injured veteran can provide in a limited on-field role, according to several NFL execs who know New York head coach John Harbaugh well.
The Giants are banking on a cast of very young players on offense, and some, like receiver Malik Nabers, who might be a little outspoken or need some help adjusting to the unique glare and scrutiny that comes from playing in The Big Apple.
Beckham lived through all of that, at an iconic level, becoming an immediate cultural phenomenon quickly after being drafted by New York in 2014, and Harbaugh prizes that kind of veteran experience and life experience in his locker room.
“Dude, look how many receivers they brought into that locker room (in Baltimore) when John was there,” one longtime personnel executive said of Harbaugh’s near 20-year run with the Ravens, in which he routinely brought in receivers near the end of their career.
“He loves this guy. This is about more than football.”
A Unique Background To Help A Young Team
Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, if he stays heathy and builds off the promise he flashed as a rookie, has a chance to become the face of New York sports, something quite rare and unique. Beckham was that guy for a period of time.
Beckham has also become a master of learning how to deal with he media, he is still largely beloved by Giants fans, and after not playing last year to try to get his body right, and not making much of a mark in his season with Harbaugh in Baltimore (2023), Beckham is at ease with a more limited role in New York’s offense and, according to league sources, has an understanding of what he has to offer at this stage of his career.
The opportunity to put on a uniform again is driving him, and this would be a special reunion. Nothing is finalized, but there is reason to believe it will happen and that Harbaugh will be hiring the former great for his locker room presence and mentorship as well as ability to still catch a fade down the sidelines.
Beckham appeared in just nine games with Miami in 2024, not starting any games, and after producing 48 touchdowns from 2014-2019, on an historic pace, he has just 11 since 2020.
He is no longer a deep threat, but still has exception hands and was beloved in Baltimore for his willingness to help young players.
La Canfora has covered over 20 Super Bowls and League Meetings and NFL drafts, building a wide network of sources throughout all aspects of the game. He was an award winning print journalist as well, working at The Detroit Free Press and The Baltimore Sun prior to his first stint at The Washington Post. He has covered sporting events around the world, including two Winter Olympics and all of the 2006 World Cup. He attended his first NFL game in 1978, and would soon kindle what has become a lifelong love and appreciation of the sport. La Canfora is also a professional handicapper, specializing in the NFL, creating a daily sports wagering game show - "Wanna Bet?" He also hosts nationally broadcast NFL radio shows in the US, as well as a daily sports radio show in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.