For an article published on Thursday morning, New York Giants reporter Dan Duggan of The Athletic suggested that free-agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. would be a Giants player today if head coach John Harbaugh truly wanted to bring Beckham back to what was his NFL home from the 2014 draft through the 2018 season.
Duggan offered his update less than 24 hours after it was learned that Giants receiver Malik Nabers needed a second surgery for a “clean up” related to the torn ACL and torn meniscus he suffered on Sept. 28, 2025. It sounds like uncertainty related to Nabers and to another member of the Big Blue passing attack could cause Harbaugh and Co. to reconsider a Beckham reunion.
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“The second procedure isn’t expected to impact Nabers’ timeline,” Duggan wrote, “and the Giants are still hoping he’ll be ready for the season opener. But it’s impossible to predict if Nabers’ recovery will remain on track, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he opened training camp on the physically unable to perform list. [Fellow Giants receiver Darius Slayton] reportedly underwent surgery to repair a core muscle injury recently. The expectation is that Slayton will be ready for training camp.”
Harbaugh reportedly “loves” Beckham from when the former was the latter’s head coach when they were with the Baltimore Ravens during the 2023 season. Additionally, the Giants almost certainly would only have to sign Beckham to a veteran-minimum salary due to the fact that it seems like no other team is interested in the 33-year-old. Beckham hasn’t played in a regular-season game since December 2024.
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“Beckham, at this stage of his career, can’t be expected to replace Nabers or even Slayton,” Duggan added. “But if those receivers’ recoveries take longer than expected, then the need for Beckham could be greater. Otherwise, it doesn’t seem as if a reunion is likely.”
In short, it sounds like Beckham may have to wait until August to learn whether or not he will be welcomed back to the Giants by Harbaugh for at least the start of the 2026 season.
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