Why was Odell Beckham Jr. cut? Giants head coach John Harbaugh explains the reasons
Beckham had no catches and was only on the field for 19 snaps in three games before being cut this week
What a difficult start to the season for the New York Giants , sitting at a 2-1 record but reeling from devastating season-ending injuries. First, they lost their cornerstone quarterback Jaxson Dart , followed last Sunday by their premier defensive star Brian Burns , leaving massive voids as the grueling NFL season unfolds.
Head coach John Harbaugh has been forced to pivot, turning to Jameis Winston as the starting quarterback while recently trading for J.J. McCarthy as a crucial roster contingency.
This is certainly not the trajectory Harbaugh envisioned after a dominant Week 1 victory over the Dallas Cowboys , a performance that initially signaled New York's readiness to contend in an NFC playoff race and snap a postseason drought for a franchise that has only reach the postseason twice since their last Super Bowl tittle in 2011 .
John Harbaugh Explains the Difficult Decision to Release Odell Beckham Jr.
This week, the Giants made the stunning choice to release veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. , abruptly cutting short his second tenure in New York.
After being selected 12th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft and exploding onto the scene with three consecutive 1,300-yard receiving seasons , Beckham's emotional homecoming ultimately stalled out.
Recording zero catches and playing just 19 offensive snaps across three games, coach John Harbaugh acknowledged that parting ways was a necessary business move for the NFL offense.
"I had a great conversation with Odell and it's tough," Harbaugh told reporters. "But we just weren't getting enough. It just wasn't working for us. And like I told him, I wanted to be able to get more. I wanted him to be able to do more. I wanted to get him on the field more. For whatever reason, we weren't able to do it."
At 33 years old , Beckham fought his way onto the 53-man roster with an impressive summer, but he now finds himself back on the open market as a free agent searching for his next opportunity in the league.
Since 2021 , Beckham Jr. has not started more than 10 games . That was the season he was traded midseason from the Browns to the Rams, scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl , and left the game due to injury.
He did not play in the 2022 season. In 2023, Harbaugh gave him a chance with the Ravens. Now, Beckham is just hoping someone else will sign him. “ I hope he lands somewhere. He’s a great friend,” Harbaugh said.
