As of now, veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is unofficially listed as a third-stringer on the New York Giants’ depth chart. The one-time superstar, who will turn 34 in November, returned to the team that drafted him when he signed a one-year deal for the veteran minimum ($1.3 million) on June 1.
After recording at least 1,000 receiving yards in five of his first six NFL seasons, injuries have severely curtailed Beckham’s production since then. In his last four seasons on the field, he’s averaged 369 yards; he didn’t play at all in 2022 or 2025.
His last significant action came in 2023, when he played for John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens and caught 35 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns. Now in his first season as head coach of the Giants, Harbaugh has reportedly called Beckham one of his “favorite people in the world.”
Whether or not Beckham can become a productive receiver again remains to be seen. If he does, Beckham has a chance to move up the New York Giants’ all-time receiving charts.
The 12th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, Beckham played his first five NFL seasons with the Giants. Athlon Sports ranks Beckham second on its list of the 5 best receivers in Giants history. Here’s where he stands on the franchise’s career charts:
Receptions: 390, which ranks fourth. Beckham needs just six receptions to pass Joe Morrison for third on the all-time list, but it’s doubtful he’ll get much further than that. Tiki Barber ranks second with 586 catches; Amani Toomer is first with 668.
Receiving Yards: 5,476, which ranks second behind Toomer’s 9,497. Going into the 2018 season, Beckham actually ranked 12th on the team’s all-time list. By the end of 2018, he passed nine players, including Victor Cruz, Barber and Hall of Famer Frank Gifford (Gifford is currently third with 5,434). It’s worth noting that current starting receiver Darius Slayton is now 12th on the team list with 4,435 yards.
Receiving Touchdowns: 44, which ranks fourth. It might be a long shot for Beckham to reach Toomer’s franchise record of 54, but he needs three TDs to tie Morrison for third and four to tie Gifford for second.
The Giants’ top current receiving threat, Malik Nabers, is still recovering from a knee injury. He might not be ready for Week 1 and he certainly won’t be 100% at that point, so there will be an opportunity for other receivers to step up. Along with Beckham, the Giants have also signed free agents Calvin Austin III, Darnell Mooney, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Braxton Berrios via free agency. So the receiver room is crowded, if not terribly impressive.
Can Beckham recapture some of the magic that made him a must-watch player in his first Giants stint? If he does, he’ll have a chance to move up in the team’s record book.
