Our picks and predictions for the 2026 NFL season
Joe Rivera, Chris Bumbaca and Adam Kaufman break down their predictions for the 2026 NFL season on the latest episode of the Sports Seriously NFL Vodcast.
Odell Beckham Jr. is looking to do something he hasn’t since the 2018 NFL season – suit up in a regular-season game for the New York Giants.
Beckham signed with the Giants as a free agent on June 1. It marked a reunion between him and the franchise that selected him with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, and also a second partnership with John Harbaugh, who coached him with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023.
Few knew what to expect from Beckham with the Giants. The 33-year-old receiver had last played during the 2024 NFL season with the Miami Dolphins, generating nine catches for 55 yards across nine games.
Nonetheless, Beckham was given a legitimate chance to fight for a spot on a wide-open Giants receiver depth chart behind fellow LSU product Malik Nabers. He generated seven catches for 76 yards across his preseason action while looking to stake a claim to a roster spot.
Was Beckham able to earn a spot on the Giants’ 53-man roster? Here are the latest updates about his status as the NFL’s 53-man roster deadline approaches on Aug. 30.
Did the Giants cut Odell Beckham Jr.? Latest updates
The Giants have not yet released Beckham. New York has not yet announced the players it is releasing to comply with the 53-man roster deadline, but a decision about the 33-year-old’s status will be reached by 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 30.
The Giants entered their Friday, Aug. 28, preseason final against the New York Jets with 11 receivers on their 90-man roster. Teams typically keep between five and seven receivers on their 53-man rosters during the NFL season, so Beckham is firmly on the Giants’ roster bubble.
Harbaugh was asked during a postgame news conference whether he believed Beckham had done enough to make the team.
The 63-year-old wouldn’t commit to Beckham making the team, but he did praise the veteran receiver’s performance during the preseason.
“I don’t wanna say exactly who’s making it right now and not what the considerations are, and things can happen,” Harbaugh said. “But I think, I would answer the question, yes. He has done enough to make an NFL roster for sure. He’s played well and he’s gotten better as camp’s gone along. He deserves credit for that. He’s done a really good job with it.”
Beckham was also asked about his time with the Giants following their final preseason game. The 33-year-old was appreciative of the team letting him compete for a roster spot after he spent 2025 out of the league.
“Super grateful for the opportunity,” Beckham said. “At this point, it’s in God’s hands. I know that I have a good feeling about myself. I feel like there’s ball to be played, plays to be made. Right now, I’m just truly grateful for the opportunity, for that experience.”
“It was a tough couple years, taking a step back and deciding, ‘Do you go forward in life? Are you done?’ The mental battles that we go through, just push through, persevere and overcome adversity,” he added. “Just, like I said, I’m truly grateful.”
Beckham also said it would mean “everything” for him to make the team as he looks to set an example for his son.
Giants WR depth chart
The Giants had seven players listed as first-, second- or third-string receivers on their most recent unofficial depth chart release. One of them, Calvin Austin III, suffered a season-ending ACL tear in practice. The remaining six were listed as follows:
- Malik Nabers
- Darius Slayton
- Darnell Mooney
- Malachi Fields
- Odell Beckham Jr.
- Dalen Cambre
The Giants also have Braxton Berrios, Xavier Gipson, Isaiah Hodgins and Jaylin Hyatt listed as fourth-string receivers. All are battling with the likes of Beckham and Cambre for spots on the back end of New York’s roster.
Meanwhile, though Slayton and Mooney are listed ahead of Fields, the third-round rookie could ultimately emerge as the team’s No. 2 receiver early in the season because of his size (6-4, 218 pounds) and blocking capabilities.
Odell Beckham Jr. contract details
Beckham Jr. signed a one-year contract worth $1.3 million with the Giants. He will only carry a $1.075 million cap hit, per Spotrac.com, and will not have a dead-cap charge if released.