Odell Beckham Jr laments his short-lived return to the New York Giants: 'I should have known better'
It was nice while it lasted for Odell Beckham's fateful return to the New York Giants. When the club released him last week, his silence suggested he was appreciative of the opportunity and the time that the reunion lasted.
Then Beckham took to a fan's Instagram account on Saturday and the narrative changed completely.
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Yes, welcome to 2026 when fans can post their complaints about an NFL franchise's coach, general manager and business decisions, and a disgruntled former player can join the conversation and agree.
Beckham is apparently agreeing with the premise that the Giants used him, and paid minimally for it in return. That was surprising.
"I'm super smart!!!! But I didn't see this one, my brotha," Beckham complained in his reply to the post. "They got me!!!"
New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. celebrates during a game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Aug. 28, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
"They won on top of the money u talkin [about], I made them. I came in HUMBLY took vet min then EARNED my spot [and] didn’t say nothing bout no $$$ which I [know] make for everybody
"Ima tell u this ima grown man and this [sh-t] didn’t hurt me but it did when they cut me like that cause part of me is like I shoulda known better."
Beckham signed a one-year veterans salary benefit deal with the Giants. That meant the team didn't have to pay him the veteran minimum and there was no guaranteed money.
The deal was worth $1.3 million.
Sep 30, 2018; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (13) reacts during the third quarter against the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)
And it was a fun story for a minute. Beckham originally played for the Giants from 2014-18 and was something of a prince in the city for a time.
His return was seen as a warm homecoming, with Beckham saying he never wanted to leave and was happy to be back. He didn't even demand his own number back.
But the return was more interesting in the press than on the field because Beckham, 33, was active for three games but caught zero passes after being targeted just once.
Beckham was released on Sept. 29. And then the sting of the release hit days later.
"Now let me [tell] u the [real] deal truth [that] hurt my heart to the core is [coming] home and seeing my son and how happy he was with no idea of what happened and talkin' [about] my job [and] jersey number 13 broke me [the f–k] down," Beckham wrote.
Head coach John Harbaugh of the New York Giants reacts during the second quarter of a game against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 13, 2026, in East Rutherford, N.J. (Getty Images)
Beckham is accusing the Giants of giving him "the run along," and is upset by that because it meant he couldn't pursue opportunities on other teams through training camp, the preseason, and most of September.
"[I don't know] why they even gave me the run along. I [could have] really been playing this year somewhere and making [an] impact and I mean that from a person whose humbled by God and life."
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One supposes Beckham feels better unburdening himself by making public all that's on his mind.
New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh speaks to the media after being introduced during a news conference at the teams NFL football training facility Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
But this might not be the wise move. That's because releasing a player is as temporary as signing him.
The Giants could easily consider a Beckham return if circumstances, such as injuries, were to befall their receivers. But now Beckham has openly criticized the team and that could be a problem.
Most teams, you see, don't want to re-sign players that have been publicly critical of them.
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