Odell Beckham Jr. says Giants ‘got me’ after release from second stint in New York
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Beckham says he returned to New York on a veteran-minimum deal expecting to contribute, but received just one target across three games.
Odell Beckham Jr. has broken his silence after the New York Giants released him just three games into his second stint with the team. He says he now believes the organization benefited from the attention surrounding his return while he received little opportunity to contribute on the field.
Beckham made the comments on Instagram while responding to a post accusing the Giants of using his return as a publicity move. As reported by Yahoo Sports, he appeared to agree with that assessment, writing that “they got me” and “they won.” Beckham, 33, returned to the franchise that selected him 12th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft after sitting out the 2025 season.
He made New York’s initial 53-man roster after accepting a veteran-minimum contract, but his role quickly became limited. He played roughly 20 offensive snaps across three games and received only one target, which fell incomplete. Reflecting on the decision to return, Beckham wrote that he came to New York “HUMBLY”, accepted the veteran minimum and believed he had earned his place on the roster. He then added, “I shoulda known better.”
The veteran receiver also made clear that he does not view the Giants release as proof that his NFL career should be over. “I coulda really been playing this year somewhere and making a impact,” Beckham wrote. His comments suggest that he believes returning to New York may have cost him an opportunity elsewhere, although that remains his personal assessment rather than an established fact.
The Giants released Beckham on Sept. 29 after three games. He finished his brief comeback without a reception. Giants head coach John Harbaugh has offered a different explanation for the decision. Harbaugh said the organization simply was not getting enough production from Beckham’s roster spot and could not find a way to get him sufficiently involved in the offense.
“It just wasn’t working for us,” Harbaugh said, adding that the decision was about what the team needed from its roster rather than Beckham’s popularity or the attention surrounding his return. The Giants subsequently made roster moves that included adding return specialist Braxton Berrios, further changing the team’s personnel needs.