Odell Beckham Jr. is on the roster bubble in New York, and if things don’t pan out there, the Los Angeles Rams are an option. The Rams could be a landing spot for many big-name players if cut ahead of the season, and an OBJ reunion in Hollywood still makes (some) sense, even at this stage of his career.
If NY cuts ties with the veteran receiver during roster cutdowns, here’s why the Rams should or shouldn’t consider a reunion.
There might be enough juice left in Beckham’s tank
The Giants re-signed Beckham in June. So far, his second stint with the
team that drafted him hasn’t been the smoothest, which is why his status is fairly unclear ahead of the 2026 season.
Beckham has played sparingly this preseason and hasn’t lit up the box score. In two games, he’s caught four passes for 23 yards. Yep, that’s all, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had some flashes here and there.
During the 26-3 win over the Dolphins on Saturday, he caught a 12-yard pass on first down in the second quarter that looked somewhat like vintage OBJ if you squint.
The jukes on that reception showed that he still has some elusiveness left after the catch. While he did have a touchdown slip through his hands in the game, his hands are largely still unmatched. Beckham more than made up for the drop this week in practice as he caught his signature one-handed pass.
Nothing about those clips indicates that he’s about to have a monster season (by his recent standards), yet it proves the aging wideout might have enough left in the tank to be fairly productive.
Plus, the Rams do not have a clear No. 3 receiver behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, so they could use any depth piece they can find. There are plenty of options, including Jordan Whittington, rookie CJ Daniels and Konata Mumpfield, but none have solidified the position in training camp.
Read more – Rams 53-man roster: Consensus projection shows expectations
That’s not to say that Beckham would immediately anchor down that spot if he were to re-sign with LA. However, his veteran presence would be enough to at least hold down the fort until one of those youngsters hopefully steps up.
OBJ is nowhere close to being the player he once was
Now, let’s play devil’s advocate. Even when Beckham signed with the Rams during the 2021 campaign, he was far removed from the player he was to begin his career.
Beckham was coming off a season cut short by injury. He tore his ACL and played in just seven games in 2020, and the Browns released him in November of that year. With the Rams, he was productive enough to help get them over the hump and win the Super Bowl, but even then, he had one 100-yard game in his 12 games with the team.
A troubling decline in production and injuries have followed OBJ throughout the back half of his career.
For starters, he hasn’t had a 1,000-yard campaign since the 2019 season with Cleveland. Beckham has also amassed 620 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 23 games played since ‘21 with the Ravens and Dolphins.
A torn ACL kept him from playing the entire 2022 season. Last season, he played in nine games with Miami and began the year on the reserve/PUP list after recovering from surgery for an unknown injury. His lack of availability since leaving Los Angeles is concerning, and it’s unlikely to improve in his age-33 season.
If the Rams were to reunite with Beckham, the front office would have to know they wouldn’t be getting him for a full season. As much as the team needs greater depth at wide receiver, signing the star wideout likely poses too much risk, regardless of the investment.
What happens next
Whether Beckham stays in the Big Apple remains to be seen, but an opportunity to snag a roster spot might’ve opened up.
Calvin Austin III tore his ACL in practice this week, creating a hole at slot wide receiver for the Giants. The injury, which is unfortunate for New York right before the start of the season, could be best-case for Beckham to earn a spot on the roster.
Between his recent injury history and noticeable lack of production since leaving the Rams, a spot is obviously not guaranteed. This will certainly be something to monitor as roster cutdowns begin after the final slate of preseason games this weekend.
Expect the Rams to keep a watchful eye on their old friend, especially if the Giants cut him. A reunion is unlikely, but not improbable, as the team seeks to improve the roster ahead of what could be a special season in LA.
