Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has made the New York Giants' initial 53-man roster after a season out of the NFL, the team announced Sunday.
Beckham was signed by the Giants this spring. Head coach John Harbaugh said the former Pro Bowl receiver who was drafted by New York in 2014 would not be guaranteed a roster spot. He had to earn it.
That is what Beckham did this summer, when he didn't miss a single practice and proved consistently he could still get open. The 33-year-old receiver last played for the Miami Dolphins during the 2024 season.
Beckham was the 12th pick in the 2014 NFL draft out of LSU. He instantly became one of the league's most electric players and was tracking to be an all-time great after his first three professional seasons. But injuries and controversies sent Beckham's career off track, and he was traded by the Giants to the Cleveland Browns in 2018.
Eight years later, he's on their roster getting prepared to face the Dallas Cowboys in the season opener on Sept. 13.
"It would mean everything to me if I made it," Beckham said about the prospects of making the team after the preseason finale Friday night.
He added: "Seeing my [4-year-old] son at the game yelling and just looking at me. He told one of his friends, 'People always want to take a picture with my dad. He must be the best.' It just made me laugh because I want to show him, lead the way. I want to be a good example for him. Be a good man. I love him so much."
Beckham had seven catches for 76 yards this preseason. His chances of sticking on the roster increased when the Giants lost wide receiver Calvin Austin III for the season last week with a torn ACL.
It wouldn't have mattered if Beckham hadn't gotten progressively better throughout the spring and summer. Harbaugh said last week was Beckham's best week of camp.
"Yes, he has done enough to make an NFL roster, for sure," Harbaugh said Friday night. "He's played well. He's gotten better as camp's gone along. He deserves credit for that. He's done a really good job with it."