Odell Beckham Jr. has publicly criticized the New York Giants after his short return to the team ended in a release. The former wide receiver, who signed a one-year deal with New York, used social media to express frustration over how the club handled his departure and his time on the roster.
Beckham initially maintained silence when the Giants released him on September 29, appearing to appreciate the opportunity for a reunion. That posture shifted on Saturday when he responded to a fan's post on Instagram, agreeing with complaints about the franchise's coaching and business decisions. He stated that the team had used him and paid him minimally in return.
The contract Beckham signed was a veterans salary benefit deal worth $1.3 million. This type of agreement meant the Giants did not have to pay him the veteran minimum, and no money was guaranteed. For a brief period, the reunion was framed as a warm homecoming. Beckham, who originally played for the Giants from 2014 to 2018, had previously said he never wanted to leave and was happy to be back. He did not demand his former jersey number back.
On the field, however, the return produced little impact. At 33 years old, Beckham was active for three games but caught zero passes after being targeted just once. Following his release, Beckham wrote that the true hurt came from seeing his son happy about his job and jersey number 13, unaware of what had happened.
Beckham accused the Giants of giving him "the run along," a tactic that limits a player's availability for other teams. He argued that this prevented him from pursuing opportunities elsewhere during training camp, the preseason, and most of September. "I could have really been playing this year somewhere and making an impact," he wrote, adding that he should have known better about the situation.
The public nature of Beckham's criticism may complicate any future relationship with New York. Releasing a player is often a temporary move; teams may reconsider signing them if injuries affect their roster depth. However, franchises are generally reluctant to re-sign players who have openly criticized the organization. Beckham's comments suggest he feels the team handled his departure poorly, but the public airing of those grievances could limit his options with New York in the near term.