Odell Beckham Jr. is getting another shot in the NFL.
Just days after his short-lived return to the New York Giants came to an end, the veteran wide receiver has found himself a new home.
The Minnesota Vikings announced Wednesday that they have signed Beckham to their practice squad.
The move gives the former superstar another opportunity to prove he still has something left in the tank — and it comes at an interesting time for Minnesota.
The Vikings are currently dealing with an injury to star wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who has been recovering from an ankle injury suffered during Week 3. Jefferson missed Minnesota’s most recent game, and the team has been looking for additional help at the receiver position.
Now OBJ is officially in the building.
Beckham’s signing comes only a little more than a week after the Giants released him on September 29. New York brought Beckham back this offseason in hopes that the former franchise star could somehow recapture some of the magic that made him one of the most electric players in football.
Instead, his second stint with the Giants ended almost immediately.
Beckham appeared in three games but played only 20 offensive snaps and received just one target. He finished the stint with zero receptions. The Giants ultimately decided to move on, ending a comeback that many fans hoped would produce at least a few memorable moments.
But Beckham wasn’t finished.
The Vikings have now decided to take a chance on the 33-year-old receiver, giving him another opportunity to work his way back onto an NFL active roster.
And there is already some familiarity between Beckham and Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell.
O’Connell was the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 when Beckham joined the team after leaving the Cleveland Browns. That season ended up being one of the better stretches of Beckham’s career in recent years.
During the 2021 regular season, Beckham caught 27 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns in eight games with the Rams. He then added 21 receptions for 288 yards and two touchdowns during Los Angeles’ postseason run before suffering a torn ACL during Super Bowl LVI.
The Vikings are hoping some of that old OBJ magic can still be found.
Beckham originally became a household name after the Giants selected him with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He immediately exploded onto the scene, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year and making three straight Pro Bowls.
During his first five seasons with New York, Beckham recorded 390 receptions for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns.
Overall, he has 575 career receptions for 7,987 yards and 59 touchdowns across 122 NFL games.
But the road back to being that player has been anything but easy.
Multiple injuries, including ACL problems, have slowed down Beckham’s career over the past several years. He also did not play in the NFL last season before attempting his comeback with the Giants this year.
Now Minnesota is giving him another chance.
The Vikings are off to an undefeated 4-0 start, but their offense has still been looking for more consistency. With Jefferson dealing with his ankle issue, Minnesota clearly sees enough potential in Beckham to bring him into the building and see what he can do.
Beckham will initially be on the practice squad, meaning this does not automatically mean he’ll be playing Sunday. He’ll have to work his way toward an opportunity on the active roster.
Still, the move gives OBJ something he desperately needed: another door.
The question now is whether he can kick it wide open.
For a player who has already gone from superstar status to injuries, comeback attempts and now the practice squad, Beckham’s NFL story is far from finished.
And if Kevin O’Connell can get anything close to the version of OBJ he coached in Los Angeles, the Vikings may have just found themselves a very interesting weapon at the right time.
For Beckham, though, this is simple.
Another team. Another opportunity. Another chance to show everybody that OBJ still has something left.
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